HEALTH

Florence Nightingale remembered
From A Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, May 12 — Describing nursing as the noblest profession, UT Director Health Services Joginder Singh today called upon the nurses to work with complete dedication.

Inaugurating the function organised at the Sector 16 General Hospital to commemorate International Nurses Week, he asked them to "keep up the good work of serving the humanity". He also paid tributes to Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

The Vice-President of the Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI), Ms Rita Sikand, revealed that the week was celebrated worldwide by nurses as a mark of respect to Florence Nightingale who was born today in 1820.

Describing her as the symbol of humanity, sacrifice, dedication and inspiration to all the nurses, she added that during the Crimean War, she took great care of the soldiers and later wrote books on nursing and opened a school of nursing. The speakers also announced that the first millennium theme given by the International Council of Nurses was "Nurses — always there for you".

Over 200 nurses from the PGI, Sector 32 Government Medical College and Sector 16 General Hospital participated in the seminar.

It was stated that panel discussions, seminars, competitions on technical skills and a cultural programme will be held for the nurses. Besides, the nurses will go to slum areas, schools and hold health camps and do free check-ups. They will deliver talks about AIDS, and water-borne diseases. Tests of anaemia, blood pressure, malaria, haemoglobin shall be conducted. Talks on hygiene and importance of immunisation will also be given.

Ms Sikand added, "Through these camps, we can make the public aware of the our role. Serving the public to the best of our ability is our duty but we have our problems too."

The President of the TNAI's local branch, Mrs Rajinder Dhadda, said, "There is a major shortage of nurses and the doctor-nurse ratio is far below compared to other countries. Not many women join this profession as there is no incentive — it still does not have the status, good pay scales, there is no autonomy and control without the doctors and not enough equipment are available either."

‘Science cannot replace them’
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 12 — Doctors and nurses must work for the common objective of delivering quality health care in any given situation, said Dr I.C. Pathak, Managing Trustee, T.T.V. Chhuttani Charitable Trust, while presiding over the International Nurses’ Day at the C.M.C. here today.

He observed that morbidity and mortality rates were in inverse proportion to the quality of professional understanding between the consultants and the nursing staff in a hospital. Scientific advancement in medicine did not do away with the human support that the nurses could provide to alleviate human suffering, Dr Pathak concluded.

Dr N.N. Wig, a Trustee, who inaugurated the function, dwelt on the community-oriented approach of modern nursing. He described Florence Nightigale, whose 180th birthday was being celebrated as International Nurses’ Day, as a role model. She transformed an unorganized vocation into an organised profession, Dr Wig said.

Earlier, Mrs C.Earnest, Chief Nursing Officer, C.M.C., while introducing this year’s theme: “The Nurse — Always There for You,” talked of the utility of telenursing, which was round the corner. It will be a cost-effective strategy for our health settings to calm anxious parents, counsel high risk population and those who have chronic conditions and debilitating illnesses, she said.

SPORT

Winning knock by Gaurav Chopra
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, May 12 — A superb all-round performance by Gaurav Chopra who scored 78 runs and later took two wickets, enabled Hansraj Public School in getting the better of CL DAV School, Sector 11, Panchkula by 79 runs. It thus moved into the finals of the under 14 cricket tournament played here today. The finals will be played between HPS and Army Public school, Chandi Mandir on May 14.

Brief scores: HPS-231 runs for six in 35 overs (Gaurav Chopra 78, Vidit Kataria 63, Varun Garg 20, Avneet 2 for 26) DAV School 152 all out (Vishal Chitkara 31, Ankit 27, Nitin Mehtani 22, Nikhil Kathuria 2 for 20, Gaurav Chopra 2 for 27, Apar Shakti 2 for 37).

Kabaddi tourney: The Chandigarh Kabaddi Association has selected a 12-member team, which will take part in the 47th Senior National Kabaddi championship to be held in Mumbai from May 16 to 20. The team was selected after a camp which had begun on April 28.

The team is: Amarjit Singh (captain), Jasbir Singh, Dalbir Singh, Jaibir Singh, Umed Singh, Satbir Singh, Balwinder Singh, Ramesh Singh, Ramesh Kumar, Karam Singh, Barinder Singh and Mukesh Kumar. Mr Pawan Rana and Mr AC Khanna will accompany the team as coach and manager, respectively.

Cricket meet: Dinesh Mongia will lead the Chandigarh team in the inter district cricket tournament going to be held in Jalandhar from May 15, according to Mr Mohinder Singh Secretary of the Chandigarh Cricket Association, affiliated to the Punjab Cricket Association.The team will play against State Bank of Patiala on May 17.

Other members of the team are: Amit Uniyal, Amandeep Singh, Madan Lal, Sanjay Dhull, Harminder Singh Kaku, Ajay Mannu, Bhageshwar, Vikram Sodhi, Nagesh, Gaurav Gupta, Prabhjot Singh, Anurag and Harit Sharma.

Shivalik School to promote hockey players
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, May 12 — Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, has now decided to concentrate more on hockey and some indoor sport, according to the Director Principal of the school, Mr D.S. Bedi. The school has formed the Shivalik Hockey Academy for players chosen from different parts of the region.

The school has a sprawling sport complex in its SAS Nagar and Sector 41 branches. The SAS Nagar branch includes many Sports Authority of India centres, run under its National Talent Search Scheme, which have produced many top players.

Mr Bedi said the school the school had a good reputation in sport. Mr Bedi said the SAS Nagar branch has an indoor hall which was earlier used for many sport like badminton and table tennis. A Deco Turf will now be laid there. Two months ago, at the Sector 10 Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association centre, two synthetic courts had been laid by the Delhi-based Sanjay Minotra and Associates, which will lay the courts here as well.

The SAS Nagar branch will have synthetic indoor courts for badminton, basketball and volleyball. Mr Bedi said the material was already lying on the CLTA premises. "We are renovating the ceiling of the hall, after which, the surface will be laid," he said.

He also said Sukhbir Singh Gill, who was now in the Indian hockey team, was a product of the school. He said hockey players of the school like Sarabjeet Singh, Sandeep Singh, Mukhtiar Singh, Harpreet Singh, Manmeet Singh, Harvinder Pal Singh, M. Ingo Singh, Chander Pal, Sukhwinder Singh and Kabul Singh had also done well at the national level.

The school has also selected 18 players for the Shivalik Hockey Academy which will become operational from May 17. These players were selected from various parts of Punjab. They will be coached by B.S. Randhawa of the SAI.

The names of these players are as follows: Baltej Singh, Jatinder Singh, Balbir Singh, Parladh Singh, Mahavir and Mandeep Singh (all Baba Bakala, Amritsar), Yudhwinder Singh (Ludhiana), Khushwant Singh and Jagir Singh (Gurdaspur), Ravinder Kumar (Pathankot), Jagpal Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Pushpinder Singh, Gurpreet, Budh Singh and Jaswinder Singh (all Ropar), Sukhpal Singh (Batala) and Gurpreet Singh (Jalandhar).

Mohd Salim wins badminton meet
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, May 12 — Mohammad Salim of the Punjab State Electricity Board won the men's singles title in the 27th All-India Inter State Electricity Boards Badminton Tournament which concluded here today at the Sector 42 hall.

In the final, top-seed Mohammad Salim of the PSEB easily beat his teammate, Rohan Kapoor, 15-8, 15-10. The doubles final was a close one. Haryana Power Sports Group team of twins Varinder and Surinder beat Chanderdeep and Ram Lakhan in three-game cliff-hanger, 17-16, 8-15, 15-9. Ms Meenakshi Anand Chaudhary, Chairperson of the HVPN, gave away the prizes.

Results: Semi finals (singles) — Mohammad Salim (Punjab) b Varinder (Haryana) 15-4, 15-7; Rohan Kapoor b Surinder (Haryana), 11-15, 15-13, 15-7. Quarterfinals (singles) — Mohammad Salim (Punjab) b Santosh More (Maharashtra), 15-7, 15-3; Virinder (Haryana) b Anjum Ashraf (UP), 15-13, 15-12; Rohan Kapoor (Punjab) b Rajiv (Kerela), 15-4, 15-2; Surinder (Haryana) b Pankaj Pathak (Maharashtra), 15-7, 15-5. Doubles — Ram Lakhan and Chanderdeep (Punjab) b S. More and Anand Gadekar (Maharashtra), 15-10, 15-8; Virinder Mehta and Gulshan (Haryana) b Ram Mohan and Sridhar (AP), 12-15, 15-11, 15-7; Rohan and Jaideep (Punjab) Pankaj and V.A. Chaudhary (Maharashtra), 15-6, 15-7; Surinder and Varinder (Haryana) b K.C. Patel and K.C. Vyas (Gujarat), 15-2, 15-4.

Harneet is ranking tennis champion
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 12 — Harneet Singh has won the All-India Ranking Tennis Tournament held at Delhi beating top-ranking Vivek Shokeen of Delhi 6-3, 6-3. Harneet dominated from the very beginning breaking his opponent in the third and fifth games of the first set. On his way to the finals, Harneet, a class IX student of St John's High School, Chandigarh, had beaten second seed Ardaman Sidhu in the semi-finals.

ADMINISTRATION

Encroachments removed in Sector 41
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 12 — Over 50 unauthorised encroachments were removed by the enforcement staff of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) in Sector 41-A here today.

The demolition squad removed illegal hedges, boundary walls, car sheds and concrete sheds on the municipal land adjacent to the V-6 roads of the sector.

Apni Mandi panel chief: Mr Kanhya Lal Sharma (BJP) was on Friday elected Chairman of the Apni Mandi Committee of the civic body. Mr R.S. Kailey (nominated) was elected the Deputy Chairman.

Water law violators: About 55 notices were served on persons found violating water supply water byelaws by the Public Health Wing of the MCC on Friday.

In the drive, violators found washing vehicles, floors and irrigating lawns by water used for drinking purposes, were warned verbally to avoid the wastage of water, otherwise their connections would be disconnected.

Market body's plea: The Market Welfare Association, Sector 47-C, has urged the civic body to remove illegal encroachments by the motor mechanics and welders from the parking lots and verandahs.

In a representation to the Commissioner, the association alleged that the encroachments were a source of nuisance besides giving market a dirty look.

DRDO clerks' strike from May 15
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 12 — To protest against the ''indifferent and negligent'' attitude of the central government, members of the Defence Research and Development Organisation Clerical Staff Association have decided to launch an agitation.

A statement issued here today said that members of the association will protest from May 15 to 19 by wearing black badges. A two-hour pen-down strike will be held from May 22 to May 24, while a dharna will be held outside the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory office on May 25. Members will proceed on mass casual leave on May 26 and begin an indefinite dharna in front of TBRL from May 29.

The statement added that their demands include pay revision, setting up a defence research administrative cadre and cash handling allowance for all cashiers.

Minister addresses panches of Banur
From Our Correspondent

DERA BASSI, May 12 — "All development works in the Banur constituency will be completed within a stipulated period. Strict action will be taken against officials who will show reluctance."

This was said by Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance and Planning Minister of Punjab, while heading a meeting of sarpanches and panchaes of the Scheduled Caste community at Mubarikpur village, about 2 km from here, today.

Capt Kanwaljit Singh was speaking a convention organised to chalk out development programmes for improving the condition of the downtrodden and their bastis in the Banur constituency.

"To develop the area at the grassroots level, village welfare committees are being constituted. These will be given financial aid so that developments can be done in a planned way," said the minister.

"Four new water augmentation schemes for rural areas will be introduced for a better drinking-water supply to various parts of Lalru and Dera Bassi. Rs 40 lakh will be spent on a similar project. Link roads to Jaula Kalan and Malikpur villages will be repaired by June end," he said.

To deal with the old-age-pension cases, camps will be held at Dera Bassi and Lalru. Beneficiaries will be given pension on the spot so that they do not have to stand in long queues at revenue offices.

He distributed cheques for the construction of pucca streets, dharamshala and various other development works to the sarpanches. He also ordered to dig a tubewell in Bairmajara village for the convenience of Harijans of the village.

Mr S.S. Sidhu, SDM; Mr H.S. Bhullar, DSP; Mr Jagjit Singh Dalli, President of the Dera Bassi Municipal Council; Ms Inderjit Kaur Kang, Tehsildar; and some other prominent persons were also present on the occasion.