The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

Gearing up for pulse polio drive
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 25 — Chandigarh Administration is gearing up for the next round of pulse polio immunisation. Nearly 1.20 lakh children below the age of five years will be administered polio drops during the first and second rounds on December 10 and January 21, respectively.

Giving details, Dr M.P. Minocha, Director, Family Welfare, said in order to cover a wider population and to ensure that people residing in slums and colonies are not leftout, the authorities have decided to enhance the number of booths. This time there will be more than 400 booths as against 322 booths last year. In fact, the number will go to 450, including mobile teams. He further disclosed that most of the government schools and government-aided schools will have at least one booth in their premises with the cooperation of the DPI and principals of respective schools.

This time, a large number of students will also be deployed as volunteers to spread the message of the programme among the masses, a day prior to the immunisation and on the day the drops are administered. In addition to this, certain branches of the State Bank of India and the Central Bank of India will also have booths to administer the doses on their premises. While the booths which earlier functioned from the dispensaries will continue, 80 to 90 new booths will be set up in schools and banks for the benefit of the residents.

Dr Minocha has appealed to people to come forward and get even new borns or infants immunised as this will ensure the safety of the community from the virus. More than 1,800 persons, including interns, house surgeons, medical students, teachers, nursing staff and volunteers from various associations will be manning various booths in the city and surrounding areas.

Chandigarh will only have two rounds of pulse polio immunisation as it has been placed in the low burden zone and not reported a single case of polio till date this year. It had four cases of paralytic polio in 1998 and 1999. Delhi will have four rounds as it was the only state which reported more cases of paralytic polio in 1999 as compared to 1998. This is so because the people of Bihar and UP migrate to Delhi for earning their livelihood. Punjab and Haryana will have three rounds each, with the first round on November 5. While Haryana has reported one case from Gurgaon district, no case has been reported from Punjab.

According to figures available, 120 cases of polio have been reported in the country till August this year, which is one-tenth of the figure reported last year. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Orissa and Himachal Pradesh are free from polio for the last 3 years. In fact, 90 per cent of the total 120 cases are in the Bimaru states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and UP, which are marked by a high density of population,lack of hygiene and low coverage of routine immunisation area. UP is the only state where all the three strains of wild polio have been isolated in the recent past.

Pulse polio programme intensified
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Sept 25 — As many as 56,183 children will be vaccinated under the intensified pulse polio programme scheduled to begin on November 5 in the district in three rounds. While the drops would be administered to children in booths during the first round, house-to-house administration of drops would be held in the following two rounds.

With over 45 vehicles to be pressed into service for the drive, 14 mobile vans will cover the high-risk areas among the 279 booths set up in the district. While 232 posts will cover the rural areas of the district, 47 booths will be set up in the urban area of Panchkula and Kalka.

The risk pockets identified for the drive include Rajiv Colony, Indra Colony, Azad Colony, jhuggis in Sectors 12-A, 14 and 21, jhuggis at the Mansa Devi construction sites and Bhainsa Tibba, Bir Ghaggar, Burj Kotian, poultry farms in the Barwala area, brick-kilns and jhuggis at Nada Sahib.

The Civil Surgeon, Dr H.C. Nagpal, informed that a comprehensive scheme had been framed to publicise the drive. While publicity includes routine announcements, use of banners and distribution of handbills and flags showing pulse polio posts. Besides, village-wise planned meetings with the public, local leaders as also organisation of block level panch sammelans have also been planned. A cycle rally by school children and NGOs is also scheduled.

Over 1,000 persons will be employed during the drive which includes heath workers, teachers, anganwari workers, school children and NGOs. While four persons have been assigned to each post, two persons will manage each mobile van in an area.

Vaccine for the first round on November 5, second round on December 10 and third round on January 21 will be available from the General Hospital, Panchkula, the CHC of Kalka and Raipur Rani, the PHC of Pinjore, Old Panchkula, Barwala, Kot and Morni.

Workshop on breast-feeding
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 25 — Experts participating in the three-day workshop to work out an action plan for “Baby-friendly hospital initiative” highlighted that exclusive breast-feeding in the first four to six months, addition of home-made supplements after that period and extended breast-feeding in the second year of life is the best way of feeding infants. The workshop commenced at the ICSSR Complex, Panjab University, today under the auspices of the Society for Service to Voluntary Agencies ( North).

Dr V.K. Kak, Director-Principal of GMCH-32, who inaugurated the workshop, pointed out that the deliberations would go a long way in equipping doctors, nurses and midwives posted at various levels with support skills required by them for counselling and sustaining breast-feeding practices. He compared the baby-friendly hospital certification with ISO 9001 for hospitals.

Earlier, while welcoming the participants, Mr P.H. Vaishnav, chairman-cum-Managing Director, SOSVA, underlined the importance of breast-feeding in the interest of the health, both of the mother and the child. He emphasised that breast-feeding ensured appropriate nutrients to the child, prevented infection, helped improve mother’s health, protects against cancer of cervix and was a good natural contraceptive.

The Project Director, Prof Gurdev Singh, said the project aims to improve maternity services in selected hospitals and would promote and support breast-feeding by putting into practice successful breast-feeding policies. The project would run for 18 months, following which, 28 hospitals in Punjab and two in Chandigarh would be certified as ‘baby-friendly hospitals’. Emphasis would be laid on educating mothers about the importance of breast-feeding and how it works.

The workshop is being attended by representatives from six medical colleges of Punjab and Chandigarh, who are being trained as master trainers. It is being conducted by Dr Tejinder Singh from the CMC, Ludhiana; Dr Suman Bhatia, a UNICEF consultant, and a team of trainers headed by Dr Rashmi from SWACH. They also explained the correct positioning of the child during breast-feeding. They stressed that breast-feeding is the easiest, most hygienic and hazard free method of baby-feeding. Colostrum, the thick yellow fluid which was secreted for the first few days after delivery, contained anti-body and white blood cells in abundance and was the first immunisation to the baby. They advised women who often stopped brest-feeding their child within a few weeks, in the fear that their figure would get spoiled, should try and sustain breast-feeding. They also listed 10 steps to successful breast-feeding.

SPORT

Manav Mangal enter semi-finals
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Sept 25 — Manav Mangal School, Sector 21, entered one semi-finals of the under-14 and under-17 sections of the UT Inter-School Table Tennis Tournament, which began here today at New Public School, Sector 18. New Public School, Sector 18, also reached the last four of the under-17 and under-19 sections. In under-14 section, St John’s High School, Sector 26, beat Government Model Senior Secondary School Sector 27, 2-0; Manav Mangal High School, Sector 21, beat DAV Public School, Sector 8, at 2-1; while Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 19, defeated DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, by 2-1. In under-17 section Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 22, defeated DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, 2-1; New Public School, Sector 8, beat St John’s High School, Sector 26, 2-0; while Manav Mangal High School, Sector 21, beat AKS International Public School, Sector 41, 2-1.

In under-19 section, Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, beat Moti Ram Arya Senior Secondary School, Sector 27, 2-1; New Public School, Sector 18, beat Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 19, 2-0.

In under-14 boys section of the lawn tennis events, Bhavan Vidyalya School, Sector 27, beat Shishu Niketan Senior Secondary School, Sector 22, 2-0, while St John’s High School, Sector 26, defeated Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 16, 2-0.

In the badminton events of the inter-school matches, in under-14 section, Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 10, defeated Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 20, 2-0; Government Model High School, Sector 36, beat St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, 2-1; GMSSS-10 beat BV-27, 2-1; DAVPS-8 b SGHPS-40, 2-0; AKSIPS-41 b Guru Harkishan-38, 2-1; St John’s -26 b SN-22, 2-1; while MRASS-27 b St Peters-38, 2-0.

Star Club win

Star club beat Vipin XI by 30 runs while A-One Club defeated Sixteen Star Club by 91 runs in the under-14 matches of the Lala Lajpat Rai Cricket Tournament being organised by the Masters Sports Welfare Society here today.

Hockey tournament

St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, defeated Shri Guru Gobind Singh Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, 2-0, in under-15 boys section of the UT Inter-School Hockey Tournament, for selection of the UT team for the Nehru Hockey Meet, being played here today. In other matches of this section, Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, defeated Goverment Senior Secondary School, Sector 20, 6-0, while Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 32 defeated Government Model High School, Sector 44, 1-0.

In under-17 section, SGSSS, Sector 35, defeated Government Model High School, Sector 26, 5-0.

ONGC XI beat PCA Colts
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Sept 25 — The Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) team defeated the PCA Colts by two wickets despite good performances by colts’ players Pankaj Dharmani and new national squad member Yuvraj Singh in the second match of the VIIIth JP Attray Memorial Cricket Tournament played at the PCA Stadium, SAS Nagar, today.

Gaganinder Garry and Ankur Kakkar opened the PCA Colts and scored 45 runs in the first 10 overs. Garry was the first man to go as he was caught while trying to cut a short delivery. Yuvraj Singh scored 60 runs with 10 magnificent hits to the fence, but was stumped out while making his frantic efforts to push up the run rate. By then the team had scored 142 runs in 25.1 overs with Kakkar still at crease. Kakkar was out for 50 runs.

Another bright part of the innings was the coming together of Pankaj Dharmani and Sanjay Kumar at crease with scoreboard reading 190 runs at the end of 35 overs. They scored 96 runs of 77 deliveries. Dharmani, a Patiala based crickter of repute, scored unbeaten 96 runs of just 76 deliveries which included 12 fours and a six. Sanjay scored 50 runs of 45 deliveries with eight fours. Finally, the PCA Colts scored 318 runs in the allotted 50 overs for the loss of four wickets.

In reply ONGC XI got of to a flying start with Gagan Khoda and Sandeep Sharma scoring 80 runs of just 56 deliveries. Sandeep scored 50 runs in 29 balls with nine fours. Khoda scored 34 runs. At one stage the score was 117 for five wickets.

Mithun scored 56 runs and Virender contributed 67. Unbeaten 52 runs by Mohd. Saib finally helped the ONGC team to register a win against the PCA Colts.

Virender Sehwag was declared man of the match.

Tomorrow, Bishnoi Cricket Club will take on the PCA Colts at 9 a.m.

Brief scores:
PCA Colts — 318 for four in 50 overs (Pankaj Dharmani 96 n.o., Ankur Kakkar 67, Yuvraj 60, Sanjay Kumar 50).

ONGC XI — 322 for eight in 49 overs (Virender Sehwag 67, Mithun Minhas 56, Mohd. Saif 52 n.o., Sandeep Sharma 50, Gagan Khoda 34, Rizwan Samshad 24, Yuvraj Singh 3 for 47, Vineet Kumar 3 for 66).

City to host ITF meets
From Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Sept 25 — Chandigarh will host four international tennis tournaments in the coming session, beginning with the first ITF Futures Tennis Tournament from November 13 to 17. This will be followed by the ITF Juniors Tennis Meet from January 29 to February 3, 2001, the ITF Women’s Circuit Tennis Tournament from April 9 to April 14 and the ITF Men’s Satellite Masters Meet from May 28 to June 2.

According to Mr Rajan Kashyap, Chairman, Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association, some of the highly ranked players in the world would be taking part in these tournaments which will carry points for the world rankings. He said the CLTA courts have best of the infrastructure available in the country having six high quality synthetic courts and six clay courts.The two courts in the centre court are weather proof and can be used around the year.

Ms Vineeta Rai, Adviser to the UT Administrator, felt satisfied with the kind of technical and infrastructural arrangements and assured help in organising these tournaments. Shivalikview, the venture of CITCO, has been designated as the official hotel for the tournament. Mr M Ramsekhar, Secretary of the association and the tournament Director, said they expected players from 10 to15 countries to take part in the tournament.

The Adviser also reviewed the preparations for conducting the events in the forthcoming National Games to be played in the city in March 2001. Vishwajeet Khanna, Special Secretary Sports, Punjab, said very soon National Games Organising Committee would be releasing funds of tennis stadium for which the city would be the venue in the National Games.