The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

Leafy vegetables ‘cause’ stones
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 1 — With as much as 15 per cent of the population in North India suffering from kidney stones, senior doctors and biochemist recommend patients to essentially consult urologists for chalking out modalities for management of the disease.

Talking to the Chandigarh Tribune here today, scientists attending the three-day conference on kidney stones, at the Panjab University said genetic and dietary factors encouraged the formation of stones in the kidney.

According to Col V. K. Kapoor from Chandigarh Medical Center, one of the modern techniques for fragmenting urinary stones, shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL), was being carried out in the city by non-urologists also. “what patients do not realise is that the treatment of the stone, may require combination of modalities based on various factors.”

Prof S.K. Sharma, Director PGI agrees. “ Kidney stones in different individuals need different treatments. A patient may require either endourological procedures like per cutaneous nephhrolithotomy (PCNL), ureterorenoscopy (URS) or the more conventional open stone surgery. A very small stone may require ESWL while another may require a combination of two techniques.”

“For many doctors,” asserts Col Kapoor,” performing lithotripsy is more of a business commitment than anything else.”

Dr Hari K. Koul, Senior Staff Scientist at the Henry Ford Hospital and Medical Centers at Detroit says that most of these techniques, except perhaps open surgery may have long term consequences. “What is required is a need to develop tests to predict which people are more prone to stone formation and which are not. Moreover, there is also a need to standardise national protocol to identify the need of individual patients.”

According to Dr P.P. Singh, Head, Department of Biochemistry, at the V.P. Dental College, Udaipur, despite some regions having been identified as stone belts, the problem is unanimously existing all over the world. “There are reasons though, why some people are more prone to stones while others are not," he says.

“Essentially for kidney stones to form,” says Dr Koul, “ two things have to happen. Crystals which make the stones have to be formed and they have to be retained within the kidney.”

Explaining the generation of stones, Dr R. Selvan, Head, Department of Medical Biochemistry at the University of Madras says stone formation is multifactorial. “Put very simply, free radicals are produced in normal physiological conditions. In hyper oxyluric conditions, free radicals increase in the blood. Membranes of the tubes in the kidney gets damaged because of loss of antioxidant. This exposes the crystal binding proteins and leads to initiation of stone formation.”

Dr Koul explains that all individuals have crystals, yet everyone is not susceptible to form stone formation. “Every day a normal individual excretes as many as 10 million crystals in the urine without any evidence. A normal kidney epithelium handles crystals regularly but why is it that in some cases it behaves differently. The problem could be dietary, environmental or genetic based. Also required is extensive research to devise a single therapeutic protocol to prevent stone formation in a majority of stone formers.”

The kidney stones can form due to dietary or physiological factors. People who take an oxalate rich diet including spinach, brinjal, lady finger and other green leafy vegetables like bathua are prone to stones. These contain oxylates which is one of ten factors for the stone formation. Incidentally sarson ka saag does not fall in this category.

Physiological factors for stone formation include Intestinal mal absorption of oxalate and calcium, damage to renal epithelial cells or even acidic ph in the urine which could also be genetically related.

Indications include excruciating pain in abdomen associated with vomiting in urine, infections related with stone in the bladder or even renal failure.

Doctors recommend at least two litres of fluids every day, in eight installments to avoid periods of dehydration which will decrease the number of crystals formed.

Supplement the diet with calcium or calcium containing food. A glass of milk together with meals works wonders.. Calcium complexes with oxylates so that it cannot be absorbed by the body thus reducing the burden.

One of the reasons for stones the North is the hot weather for long periods. Excessive sweating an cause increase in crystal formation. Avoid sun and drink plenty of water. Studies reveal that dietary supplements of Vitamin E and C prevent stone formation.

SPORT

PU outplay Bengal in kho-kho
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Nov 1 — Panjab University, Chandigarh, outplayed North Bengal University, Darjeeling, by an innings and eight points, while Punjabi University, Patiala, got the better of Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra by an innings and 13 points in the North-East Zone Kho-Kho Tournament (Women) played at PU grounds. In other matches of the day, Calcutta University, Calcutta, outplayed GND University, Amritsar, by six points and Delhi University, Delhi, defeated MD University, Rohtak, by nine points.

The universities which have qualified for the league matches are Calcutta University, Calcutta, PU, Chandigarh, Delhi University, Delhi, and Punjabi University, Patiala.

Cricket tourney

Panchkula showed its prowess in cricket when it defeated Chandigarh by a huge margin of 156 runs in the opening match of the Haryana Inter-District Cricket tournament for the under-16 section played at the Manav Kendra cricket grounds.

Earlier, Panchkula skipper Umesh Kaira won the toss and opted to bat first. Umesh Kaira and Vidit Kataria were involved in huge partnership of 170 runs for the fourth wicket. Panchkula could make a total of 272 runs for three in 35 overs. Chasing the total, Chandigarh were able to score only 116 runs for the loss of eight wickets. Umesh and Harish did the wrecking by claiming three wickets each.

Brief scores: PDCA XI — 272 runs for three in 35 overs (Umesh Kaira 99 n.o., Vidit Kataria 63 n.o.,Vishal 37 and Rishab 32).

Chandigarh: 116 runs for eight in 35 overs (Nitinrathi 34, Umesh 3 for 11 and Harish 3 for 26).

Football tournament

DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, outscored Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 46, by three goals to two in the Chandigarh Junior Football Championship for the Pandit Mohan Lal Memorial SD Trophy played at Football Stadium, Sector 17, here on Wednesday. In another match of the day, Tagore Niketan School, Sector 27, defeated Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 15, by 3-0, St Xavier’s Senior Secondary School, Sector 44, beat Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 20, by 2-0.

Kashyap promoted

Dr P.C. Kashyap, Director, Northern Centre of Sports Authority of India, Sector 42, Chandigarh, has been promoted as Regional Director of the centre, according to a press note issued by Mr Satish Sarhadi, Assistant Director (Administration). Before this, Mr Kashyap had served at Gwalior, Shilaroo, Shimla, Gandhinagar and at corporate office. He was made Director in August 1991.

ADMINISTRATION

Teachers unhappy over poll duties
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 1 — Male members of the teaching and non-teaching staff of Panjab University and government colleges of Chandigarh have been called to perform election duties. While the college principals state that this has led the students to be on an extended Divali vacation, the teachers have protested that there is gross inversion of hierarchy involved in these duties.

The relevant rule pertaining to election duty says that a returning officer can appoint any citizen of India to help out on the conduct of elections to the various constitutional legislative bodies and anyone who refuses shall be liable for a summary punishment which could amount to two years of imprisonment.

But, in actual practice, official hierarchy and the headache involved in the conduct of election duties makes people hesitate in offering themselves for such duties and they give excuses to seek exemption from election duty. As a consequence of which the Election Commission has on and off demanded that those put on election duty should be placed under the direct executive control of the Election Commission and its officers. State governments, however, do not concede to this demand of the Election Commission.

The teachers of universities and colleges are called routinely for these duties. Some years ago, a college lecturer from Punjab wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner, pointing out the anomalous and undignified position in which teachers are placed by having to work with junior government officials. In reply to that the Secretary of the Election Commission clarified that while appointing teachers on election duties care should be taken to ensure that they are given duties commensurate with their position and seniority.

The PGI auditorium today was brimming with the teachers who had collected for “rehearsals” of these duties. Many of them, senior teachers with two three years to retire, were of the opinion that they are “much more senior to those who are conducting these election duties and later the elections. We out rank them on the basis of salary, education and experience.”

Mr M. Ramshekhar, Deputy Commissioner, Chandigarh, and Returning Officer for these elections, says," We have been given a duty to do and so have been the teachers. We are simply performing ours and they should do theirs. We are certainly not working with status and things like that in mind. Every person has his or her own status and dignity. As far as the comparison by the teachers with those who are conducting these duties, is concerned, salary wise, many of them are better off than me. But all those who are conducting the duties like the SDM and AERO, are people have come to this position after having passed an exam, which they had an equal opportunity to sit for. None has been put on duty to deliberately make them feel the way they are feeling.”

But this is just half the problem. By November, when the academic sessions in most colleges and departments of the university are almost half way through, the note of seriousness among the students is markedly missing. First, it was the session which was delayed almost by a month because of various reasons, then came the University Teachers Association Elections and the Senate Elections. Many teachers were busy campaigning for these. Next came the autumn break followed by student elections in the colleges and the university. After the elections are the youth festivals currently going on and now the teachers are on election duty.

The men’s colleges are the most affected. Out of the almost forty male teachers of GCM-11, twenty are to remain on duty in the coming week at a time compounded by the fact that the men’s college zonal youth festival also begins in the coming week.

Need to curb teaching shops: sub-committee
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 1 — Have a referral system to prevent unnecessary crowding to reduce the burden on major hospitals and utilise the primary health care services better, says a suggestion of a sub-committee on health formed by the Administrators Advisory Council. The recommendations have been presented before the council.

Another sub-committee on education says that there was a need to curb the teaching shops opened in every nook and corner. Such places can spoil the very basis of education.

Since July, a test is conducted every Saturday on the pattern of competitive exams. About 120 lecturers teaching physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics have joined hands and put their head together to prepare assignments in their respective subjects. Lately some public schools have also joined in the programme.

Members of the committee said that statistics about educational infrastructure, actual capacity and enrolment be made available to enable the committee to make detailed proposals. On night schools, the committee was informed that the Administrator had desired that more such schools be opened in the city.

The committee also said the Government of India be moved to vest the powers of creation of posts with the Administrator of Chandigarh, condensed courses for adults be provided and NGO’s may be allowed to operate from the schools and colleges in the afternoon after teaching hours.

Another suggestion says all sectors of the economy should join hands with education for training and placement of youth as has been done in case of hotels run by the CITCO.

The committee on health says a referral system needs to be developed and a three tier system, is the requirement, said Dr G. S. Kochar, President of the Indian Medical Association. He said the first tier should be for minor ailments to be dealt at dispensaries and polyclinics. The second tier should be for simple operations like fractures, hernia and appendix.

The committee said that the Mani Majra hospital needed upgradation to a 100 bed hospital, keeping in view the rush of patients there. The Director, Health Services (DHS) informed the members that the Administration had agreed to extend the facility of incinerators to private nursing homes.

Another suggestion was to remove congress grass from its roots before it reached the flowering stage. The congress grass is causing allergies and diseases. Dispensaries in the rural areas as well as few urban dispensaries are not kept clean, specially the toilets. Each dispensary should have at least one male and female doctor.

The committee said NGO’s should be asked to adopt a few dispensaries for cleanliness purposes and also to take a more pro-active role in implementation of national health programmes like TB, AIDS and family planning.

MC okays construction of parking lot
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 1 — Following directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court the road committee of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) today approved the construction of the parking lot in the Scrap Market of the Industrial Area of Phase-II here.

Giving details, Mr Gian Chand Gupta, chairperson of the committee, said Rs 4.75 lakh of the total of Rs 9.91 lakh had been approved for the construction work, to be completed by the end of this month. The 24-odd scrap dealers, who had bought the auctioned shops in the area had earlier moved the court arguing that the area lacked basic amenities like proper roads and parking area.

The court had then directed the MCC to complete the work, which the Chandigarh Administration could not do. The MCC, at an emergency meeting took the decision. The MCC will file a reply in the High Court on November 13 — the next date of hearing.

The committee also asked the authorities to speed up the road-recarpeting work and patch work of roads in the city. Ms Ranjana Shahi wanted that a roundabout be constructed on the road separating Sector 40-A and D as it was accident-prone. The proposal got the approval of the other members and a letter was sent to the Chief Architect to send designs for the fresh construction of the roundabout.