The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

Free palliative home care service launched
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 9 — The Adviser to the UT Administrator, Mrs Vineeta Rai yesterday on the occasion of the World Red Cross Day launched free palliative home care service, by flagging off a team for the benefit of cancer-afflicted patients. A special team has been set up by the UT Red Cross to take care of the terminally ill patients, who need psycho-social support besides symptomatic treatment at their door step.

According to Dr Feroza D Patel of the Department of Radiotheraphy, PGI the facility will be offered as an extension of services already being provided by them in the Palliative Care clinic, started last year. However, the facility of these services will also be made available to other cancer patients referred from General Hospital, Sector 16 and GMCH-32. The services will be provided free of cost so that no one suffers for want of financial resources.

She revealed that cancer is an increasing public health problem the world over. In India, about 80 per cent of these patients come to the hospitals at an advanced stage of their disease. In such cases, where cure may not be possible, palliative care is the only option available. The concept of palliative care aims at giving the patients the best quality of life possible by relieving them from the suffering of advanced incurable disease, not only through the control of pain and other symptoms but also by addressing the social, emotional and spiritual needs of the patients and their families, she said.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr M Ramsekhar who is the chairman of UT Red Cross said that the project has been started specifically for those patients who at an advanced stage of the disease find it hard to come to the hospital for treatment. For those who are bed-ridden or suffer from extensive bone diseases, the primary setting of care becomes the home. The team comprising a doctor, nurse and a social worker will not only assist the PGI doctors in the treatment of such patients in the clinic or the ward but will subsequently visit them at their homes for proper follow ups.

Blood donation on Thalassaemia Day
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 9 — More than 250 persons donated blood at a camp organised by the Thalassaemic Children Welfare Association (TCWA) to mark the International Thalassaemia Day and the Red Cross Day yesterday.

Dr S.K. Sharma, Director of the PGI, who inaugurated the camp, appreciated the efforts of the organisers in helping the Blood Bank Society of the PGI in the summer. He said shortage of most blood groups was reported in this period and collection through camps saved many lives. He also presented mementoes to the donors.

SPORT

Skating introduced in school
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, May 9 — Many schools, mostly private ones, have taken steps to popularise sport in Panchkula. One of these is Satluj Public School which has its branches in Sectors 2 and 4 here.

Mr Krit Serai, who studied in the UK before taking over the management of the school from his father, said he had always been interested in sport. Today, roller skating was introduced in the school on a new rink. He said the sport had now been made compulsory for students in the school. He also said many parents, at the time of admissions, had enquired whether the school had skating facilities or not. He plans to develop an international-standard skating rink of 44 x 22 m dimensions.

Another feature will be a 125 m track around the rink for speed skating. He said, later, outsiders would also be allowed to join the skating club. Kuljinder Singh, who won the second position in the state inter-school meet at Yamunanagar, is a student of the school. He praised his coach, Balwinder Singh Johal, who he said was instrumental in promoting skating activities in the town.

Equestrian facilities were introduced in the school in the last session. The horse riding sessions are held every two months in the summer and every week in the winter. Neha Pahwa, a student of Class VIII, said, ''Riding is a pleasure, but, if taken seriously, the sport has lot of opportunity."

Mr Krit Serai, himelf an equestrian enthusiast, said he would try to hold these events in Panchkula soon. He said the school was the first one to introduce pool and had also won an inter-school meet in the sport. A student, Deepak Sethi, said pool was a game of accuracy and angles. He said it was an expensive sport, but, the school provided students with good facilities.

The school has nearly 1000 students in both branches and all kinds of sport facilities are available here.

Mr Krit also said, Anju Bala, a Class XI student of the school, had been selected for the national inter-school cricket championships at Patiala in November 1999. Pratik Verma, a student of Class VIII, had been selected to play for the under-14 cricket team in an inter-district meet.

A basketball academy was a also being run in the school from 5 pm to 7 pm daily, which was open to all students of Panchkula. The school has coaching facilities for basketball, lawn tennis, swimming, snooker and pool.

Mr Krit said he believed in encouraging students to take up sport, besides taking care of their studies. He said in the UK, students took active interest in sport and studies alike. He said the school would have a 200 m athletics track, two concrete basketball courts, a horse riding track, a pool club, a lawn tennis court, a swiming pool, an open badminton court, a handball court, football and kho-kho grounds, besides facilities for indoor sport like carrom and chess. He said a six-hole golf course was also on being planned to add more sport facilities to the school.

Huge victory for Hansraj boys
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, May 9 — Hansraj Public School (senior), Panchkula, beat Moti Ram Arya School, Sector 7, Panchkula, by 198 runs in the Inter-School (under-14) Cricket Tournament organised by the District Panchkula Cricket Association at the Sector 5 cricket ground in Panchkula today. The HPS team won the toss and scored 256 runs for the loss of six wickets in 30 overs. Nikhil Kathuria scored 76 runs and Gaurav Chopra made 46 runs. Apar Shakti remained unbeaten on 32 and Vidit made 23 runs.

In reply, the MRAS team were bundled out for 58 runs in just 21.5 overs. Amanpreet claimed four wicets for nine runs, followed by Gaurav Chopra who took two wickets for five runs.

In another match, Ridam Chopra helped Little Flower School, Sector 14, Panchkula, beat St Stephen's School, Sector 21, Panchkula, by 139 runs. The LFS team made 186 runs for the loss of five wickets in 30 overs.

In reply, St Stephen's were all out for 47 runs in 19.3 overs. Ridam scored 30 runs and also claimed three wickets for seven runs.

Handball tourney: Sri Guru Gobind Singh School, Sector 35, and Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 38, beat Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, 21-4, and Rishi Public School, Mani Majra, 9-7, respectively, in the Chandigarh Sub-Junior Handball Championship which began here today.

In the boys' section, Coaching Centre, Sector-21, defeated SGGS, Sector 35, 24-19. Earlier, Mr Ravinder Talwar, Principal of host school, inaugurated the meet.

Scholarship winner: Shivam Thakur, skater and a Class I student of KB DAV Centenary School, Sector 7, won a scholarship under the Sports Talent Search Scheme of the UT Administration. Ms Madhu Bahl, Principal of the school, announced a special award for the student and said more such students, who would perform well in sport, would be encouraged.

ADMINISTRATION

Water supply hit in Sector 61
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 9 — Residents of the MIG housing complex in Sector 61 had to go without water this morning.

The water supply was hit, following a technical snag in the supply lines. Hundreds of residents were caught off-guard as they had not stored water since the water supply had been normal this summer so far. With not a drop of water in the taps, senior officials of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) were contacted.

Ultimately, water tankers were pressed into service by the MCC which reduced the water shortage to an extent. However, residents complained that sufficient number of water tankers were not sent. The fault was rectified and residents received water supply for sometime around 11 am.

Strike call: Members of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Public Health Workers Union, today, decided to go on a two-hour tool-down strike on May 11 in support of their demands.

Among the major demands of the union are treating the employees transferred by the Chandigarh Administration to the civic body as on deputation, filling up of the vacant posts, regularisation of the services of the work-charged and daily-wage employees, release of arrears of uniforms to Class III employees, besides the bonus.

DM’s order on tenancy
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 9 — The District Magistrate, Mr M. Ramshekar, today ordered that all owners or managers of commercial establishments shall have to inform the police station concerned before giving the property out on rent. The tenants will also have to furnish their details to the Station House Officer concerned in writing.

Similarly, anyone running a commercial establishment will have to inform the police before employing any servants, helpers, maids, or part-time helpers. All details will have to be furnished in writing. Any breach in the order, will invite action under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. The order shall remain in force till July 7.