The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

Stress on disease prevention laid
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 10 — The Lions Club Nightingale and the Lions Club Chandigarh jointly organised a seminar today to create awareness about chickenpox and hepatitis-B in association with Smithkline Beecham.

Mr Rajinder Bansal, Chairman, Region 1, was the chief guest on the occasion. Ms Sushma Malhotra and Ms Renu Bali, Presidents of the two clubs, were the presiding officers.

Dr Naval Tandon of Smithkline Beecham laid stress on the important role that the NGOs like the Lions Club could play in generating awareness among the masses. He said awareness about the dangerous effects of chickenpox and hepatitis-B should be spread among the people.

Dr V.K. Chhabra, in his keynote address, dwelt in detail on several risk factors, precautions, prevention and treatment of the two potentially dangerous diseases. He said chickenpox was preventable with vaccination easily available in the country.

Nurses take Florence Nightingale pledge
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 10 — The Florence Nightingale pledge was administered to 11 probationer nurses of the School of Nursing at a solemn lamp lighting ceremony at Western Command Hospital here today. The lamp lighting ceremony signifies the successful completion of a three-month preliminary training and an examination thereafter by students of three-year diploma in general nursing and midwifery.

The probationer nurses (PN), belonging to the 35th batch, had commenced training on August 2 this year. They will be commissioned in the rank of Lieutenant in the Military Nursing Services (MNS) on the completion of the diploma course. PN K Saritha and PN Neha Kapila secured first and second positions, respectively, in the examination conducted after the preliminary training period.

The lamp lighting ceremony began more than 100 years ago by Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing and popularly known as the Lady with the Lamp. It signifies the transfer of knowledge, skill and the spirit of nursing down the ages as well as commitment to the profession.

The ceremony began with an invocation song and was followed by the welcome address of the hospital commandant, Maj Gen Pratap Dayal. The lamp was lighted by the Deputy Director MNS, Western Command, Brig V G Taggarsi, and was passed on to the probationer nurses.

Felicitating nursing students who have chosen the noblest of the noble professions, the Deputy Director Medical Services, Western Command, Maj Gen S C Sharma, said that this requires them to inculcate qualities of compassion, empathy, dedication and commitment. He also gave away prizes for academic excellence.

In her course report, the school’s Principal Tutor, Lt Col (Mrs) K K Sharma, stated that since its inception in 1961, the school has produced 619 nursing officers.

Surgery conference begins
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 10 — The three day XXI annual conference of the Northern Chapter of Association of Surgeons of India, began at the PGI, here today. The conference, organised by the Department of Surgery, PGI was inaugurated by Prof S.K. Sharma, Director of the institute, in the evening.

The first day of the conference, began with a session on communication with the cancer patient, tumour staging and its implications by Prof R.A. Shastry from Mumbai.

The second session was devoted to a workshop on live surgeries on hernia repair by Prof H.G.Doctor from Mumbai and Prof R.Prasad from New Delhi. The surgeries, being performed in the operation theatre, were simultaneously screened at the Lecture Theatre (one), thereby increasing the involvement of all the delegates.

Prof Doctor operated upon a patient suffering from inguinal hernia with mesh repair, whereas Prof Prasad treated an other patient by Laparoscopy. The workshop was inaugurated by Prof P.L.Sood, President of the Northern Chapter of the Association.

The third session was devoted to damage control of traumatised individuals with multiple crush injuries, which was conducted by Prof P.K. Dutta, from the UK. Prof Dutta, concentrated on the first-hour care of the traumatised patient when he is brought to the hospital. He said that first-hour care was most important in the management of a crash victim as it required bringing vital organs to their normal function level and make the patient respond to the treatment. Dr S.P. Kaushik from the GMCH spoke on bailing out Laparotomy.

Prof R. Saxena from Lucknow presented an important talk on crush injuries in pelvis and resulting haemostatis. He concentrated on the condition when lower portion of the body is crushed and the kidneys are traumatised or extensively damaged, thereby leading to secretion of blood in the urinary tract.

The fourth session included a talk on imaging, screening and ultrasound scanning by Dr V. Rathore from Mumbai and Endo Sonograph in surgical practice by Dr (Ms) M. Gulati from the PGI. Dr Gulati, while speaking about the advances in breast imaging, said that abscess and abnormal growth should be detected at the earliest, so that major surgical procedures could be avoided.

Prof R. Murlidharan spoke about the carcinomous condition of the thyroid. He stressed upon the earliest thyroid function test as to avoid a major surgery at the later stage.

SPORT

City rower is India probable
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Nov 10 — Gurpreet Kaur, a Class XII commerce student of the Sector 20-D Government Model Senior Secondary School, is the only one selected from here for a camp for probables for the junior Indian rowing team. The team will take part in the Junior Asian Rowing Championship at Sukhna Lake here from November 16 to December 9. After this, the Asian Meet will begin on December 10. Gurpreet had won a gold medal in the single-scull event of the 21st Junior National Rowing Championship that concluded on November 5 in Bangalore.

Gurpreet has represented the UT in many national swimming meets. She said, because swimming could not be done throughout the year, she had taken up rowing.

Within a year after taking up the sport in 1998, she won a bronze medal in the women’s coxed-four event of the 20th Junior National Championship at Mahoba (UP).

However, her finest moment came when she was picked up for the national camp. Gurpreet said swimming had helped her improve her rowing skills.

Gurpreet’s Principal, Ms Promila Sharma, said she happy at her student’s achievements. She said the school would give all possible support to Gurpreet.

Kho-kho trials

The UT Education Department will hold trials to select the city teams for the kho-kho events of the National School Games. The trials will be for boys and girls in the age groups of under-14, under-17 and under-19. The trials will be held in the Sector 18 Government Model Senior Secondary School here.

The dates for the trials are as follows: Boys (under 19) — November 13, under-17 — November 14 and under-14 — November 15; girls (under-19) — November 16, under-17 November 17 and under-14 — November 18.

Cricket tourney

The UT Cricket Association will organise the Inter-College League-cum-Knockout Tournament for the Kapil Dev Trophy from November 17 to 27 in the Sector 16 stadium.

According to Mr S.S. Bawa, Secretary of the association, the matches will be of 40 overs a side each. Entries close on November 13 at the office of the association in the Sector 16 stadium.

Inter-college volleyball

The local Guru Gobind Singh College for Women and the Sector 36 MCM DAV College for Women won their matches in the Panjab University Inter-College Volleyball Tournament at the PU grounds here.

In the Inter-College Hockey (men’s) Tournament, The Sector 32 GGDSD College, beat the Sector 11 Government College for Men, 5-0.

Satluj Cup

The first Satluj Cup Cricket (under-14) Tournament will be declared open by Mr Krit Serai, Principal of the Sector 4 Satluj Public School of Panchkula, tomorrow on the school premises.

Sport meet

The annual sport meet of Sri Guru Public School of Ram Darbar Phase II was held today on the school premises. The events included hurdle race and baloon-bursting race. A dance item, Vande Mataram was also presented.

ADMINISTRATION

Jain to continue as Chief Engineer
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 10 — The UT Chief Engineer, Mr R.K. Jain, has been given an extension to continue in his present position till the Chandigarh Administration in collaboration with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) holds the Departmental Promotion Committee meeting to select a new chief engineer.

Mr Jain’s parent state, Haryana, accepted the plea of the administration that the post cannot be left vacant till a new appointment is made. Sources said a letter to this effect from Haryana was received by the Chandigarh Administration today. Meanwhile, the Chandigarh Administration has now requested the UPSC to hold interviews for two posts of chief engineers, one for the Chandigarh Administration and the other for the municipal corporation.

A DPC meeting fixed for October 13 to select a chief engineer was postponed by the UPSC on a request from the Chandigarh Administration.

SI placed under suspension
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 10 — A Sub-Inspector of the Chandigarh police, accused of furnishing bail bonds of an alleged call girl, was today placed under suspension.

Sat Pal, according to sources in the Police Department, was suspended with immediate effect. He was also directed to be transferred to the Police Lines on “half pay and usual allowances”. Sources added that the action was taken against the SI on the grounds of “moral turpitude”.

Senior officials in the Police Department also stated that steps would be taken to look into the possibility of any nexus between police officials and prostitutes. They added that strict action would be taken against the cops found guilty.

The SI had reportedly furnished the bonds for Priya Devi, a resident of Panchkula, after she was directed to be released on bail by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr. Sant Parkash.

She, along with two other “call girls”, were arrested by the Chandigarh Police. They were allegedly operating in and around the city through mobile telephones. Their “pimp”, owner of a printing press, was also apprehended. The racket was “unearthed” with the help of a decoy customer.

Senior police officials had claimed that the four were taken into custody from Sector 22 after 15 notes of Rs 100 each were handed over to the accused. Sources had added that the marked currency was recovered from them after a search was conducted by a lady Assistant Sub Inspector.

Exploring the idea of SAS Nagar MC
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Nov 10 — In a significant development, which could have wide-ranging ramifications, the Administrator of the SAS Nagar Municipal Council is exploring the idea of constituting a municipal corporation out of the civic bodies of SAS Nagar, Kharar and Zirakpur. This was disclosed by the Administrator-cum-Subdivisional Magistrate (SDM), Mr Jaipal Singh, at the inaugural function of the Sukhdev Singh Gill memorial sports festival here today.

He said after preparing a proposal in this regard, he would forward it to the state government for consideration. If constituted, the corporation would bring SAS Nagar a step closer towards becoming a district.