HEALTH

One vaccination, two pricks
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH June 20 — When Dr Vineet Suneja Dass, a local physician, took his teenaged daughter to the city’s oldest druggist and vaccination centre in Sector 17 this morning, little did he realise that his daughter would end up with two pricks, one of solvent and the other of chickenpox vaccine.

It happened at Dr Sahib Singh and Sons, the city’s oldest and a reputed vaccination centre. Dr Dass had been frequenting this centre since his childhood. This morning, when his daughter was to be administered chickenpox vaccine, the vial containing the vaccine was left on the table and the dispenser had probably forgotten to inject the medicine and given the girl a prick with solvent — distilled water.

While Dr Dass maintained that he noticed that his daughter had been injected solvent alone, the proprietor of the shop, Mr Vikram Duggal, claimed that it was he who noticed the mistake and told the girl and her father that by mistake she had been administered only the solvent and not the vaccine.

“We requisitioned a fresh vial of the vaccine and gave her the vaccination,” said Mr Duggal, maintaining that he acted on his own in the interest of the girl. Till then, he said, they were not even aware of this mistake.

Dr Dass, however, contests this. He said once the mistake was brought to their notice, they, after initial hesitation, started apologising and admitted their mistake. “Now I am not sure what happened when I came to the same place for my previous vaccinations,” said Dr Dass, claiming that he paid Rs 1400 for the vaccination and would have gone with his daughter with only solvent injected in her body, keeping her prone to chickenpox.

Mr Duggal said their centre had earned a name for itself and would not indulge in any such practice. “We have admitted our mistake in this case and apologised to Dr Dass and his daughter and promised to be very careful in the future,” he added.

De-addiction camps at GMCH
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH June 20 — De-addiction camps will be organised on two consecutive days by the Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, in connection with Internal Day against drug abuse, which falls on June 26. The camps are being organised in collaboration with the local Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Servants of the People Society.

Individuals with addiction problems can seek free help between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Gurdwara Dadd Majra colony on June 25. Besides alcohol dependence, people taking other drugs like smack, opium, injections, charas, etc will be treated free of cost. If required, some of these patients will be admitted and treated free of cost at the GMCH. Apart from giving medicines to control their withdrawal symptoms, psychological and social help to patients as well as their families will be provided by experts from the Department of Psychiatry, GMCH.

On June 26, patients of alcohol and substance use disorders can come directly to the Psychiatry OPD without getting registered at the registration counter. The substance users will not only be provided free services prizes will also be given to the winners of the poster competition.

In a release issued here today, doctors pointed out that addiction had increased morbidity and mortality rates and despite much effort made towards solving the problem, it still poses an insurmountable challenge. In the past also, a professional team headed by Dr B.S. Chavan had been organising such free camps in villages for increasing awareness and motivating substance users towards leading a drug-free life. The response at these camps indicated that community camps were emerging as useful and cheaper alternative model of dealing with this problem as compared to hospital services. Besides, organising such camps, the Department of Psychiatry was running regular community de-addiction centres at Palsora on every Saturday and Maloya on every Thursday between 10 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. where, apart from patients of drug and alcohol dependence, patients suffering from psychological illnesses were also seen and medicines were given free of costs.

Meanwhile, a painting contest is also being organised by the department on the theme ''Youth and drug abuse'' to mark the day. Students of classes IX, X , XI and XII are eligible to take part in the contest. The school cannot send more than 10 entries. The theme of the painting/posters should be prevention of alcohol and drug abuse, making drug-free society, how to help an addict, early identification of drug abuse, dangers of taking drugs and role of family in treatment.

Anti-malaria drive in Ram Darbar
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH June 20 — A special campaign to check underground water sewage tanks in the colonies was launched by the malaria wing in the labour colony, Ram Darbar, here today, as part of the anti-malaria drive in the city. A health education awareness drive and anti-malaria camp was organised in the area.

The camp was inaugurated by the Area Councillor of the Municipal Corporation, Ms Kamlesh. Dr GC Bansal, Assistant Director, Malaria while addressing the residents, said checking of underground water storage tanks would help eliminate mosquito breeding places. He appealed to the residents to make the campaign a success and help in the prevention and control of malaria and dengue.

The area Councillor visited some of the areas of the colony, and was shown uncovered water storage tanks, responsible for mosquito breeding. Health education material containing posters, pamphlets were freely made available to the residents during the camp.

Special entomological survey teams were deployed in different areas for cross-checking the underground storage tanks in the area. A team has also been deployed in the colony to collect blood samples of fever cases to rule out malaria cases. June is observed as anti-malaria month.

Five-day medical camp begins
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH June 20 — A free medical camp under the alternative medicine system was organised by the Chandigarh Health Care and Nature Care Society in Sector 44 here today. The camp will continue for the next five days.

All chronic diseases like asthma, arthritis, sinuses, piles and eye and ENT problems will be treated with the alternative medicine system like naturopathy, acupressure, yoga and magnetic therapy free of cost. A team of six doctors will examine the patients under the supervision of Dr Iqbal Bhalla.

SPORT

Sunil, Akshay probables for Edinburgh meet
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH June 20 — Sunil Kumar and Akshay Vishal Rao of Chandigarh have been included by the All-India Tennis Association in the list of five probables for the Millennium Commonwealth Youth Games to be held in Edinburgh from August 9 to 14.

As per an information received by the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association, the other three probables are Vinod Sewa, Shivang Mishra and Prantap Chaturvedi. Three players from these five will be selected for the games. Three out of four girl probables will also be selected for this meet. They are Sudha Padhke, Radhika Tulpule, Megha Vakaria and Isha Lakhani.

Coaching camp

The Chandigarh Carrom Association will hold a 12-day coaching camp at St Stephen's School, Sector 45, from July 10 to 21. The interested players may contact Mr Mahesh Sekhri, Secretary of the association.

Mr Mahesh said the association would also hold the Xth Chandigarh State Carrom Championship from July 29 to August 3 at St Stephen's School. The events in this six-day tournament will include men's and women's singles and doubles, men's and veterans' singles, junior boys' and girls' singles and doubles, sub-junior boys' and girls' singles and doubles.

The association will also organise the XXXth Senior National and Inter-State Carrom Championship jointly with the Punjab Carrom Association at Jalandhar from September 2 to 7. In this six-days meet, about 350 players of 26 states and 10 affiliated units of the All-India Carrom Federation will take part.

Boxing selections

The Chandigarh Amateur Boxing Association will select the UT team for various tournaments on June 23 at the Sector 46 coaching centre. According to Mr C.K. Jerath, Secretary of the association, those selected will participate in the Federation Cup Senior Championship at Chennai from July 11 to 15 and the Northern India Inter-State Meet at Hoshiarpur from July 21 to 23.

Bonafide boxers of the city can attend the trials and they should bring with them their original birth certificates.

Tribune chess

Narinder Gussain beat Pradeep Sundriyal in a close fifth-round match of the Tribune Chess Tournament here. Now, V.P. Gupta, Harish Handa and he have three points each. The match between Pradeep and Narinder went for more than three hours before the latter emerged the winner.

In the other matches of the day, V.P. Gupta defeated Harish Handa and Manish Mehta. Narinder Gussain beat Madan Singh and Harish Handa beat Pradeep.

Final scores: V.P. Gupta, Harish Handa and Narinder Gussain — three points each; Pradeep Sundriyal — two points; the final rounds will be played tomorrow.

ADMINISTRATION

Provide basic amenities: SP
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH June 20 — The Samajwadi Party in a memorandum to the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) today urged the civic body to provide basic amenities in various parts of the city.

The president, Mr Shivi Jaiswal, said the streetlights in Colony Nos 4 and 5 and Palsora had not been working for the past over four months. Similarly, the pumping capacity of the tubewell in Burail had gone down considerably.

The roads were bad in several parts of the city. While recarpeting the roads, sewerage points were covered with coaltar, he added.

The development of the parks and more mobile toilets for the colonies were the other issues.

Encroachments removed: The enforcement staff today removed 25 illegal encroachments from internal roads of Sector 21-C.