HEALTH

15-20 pc people have STDs: NACO study
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 14 — Adolescents need to be given information about reproductive health, sex and sexuality, though in a guarded and graded manner. This was stated by Dr A.S. Kundu from the ICMR, New Delhi, while presenting a paper on reproductive health awareness and sex behaviour of adolescents on the second day of the workshop on Reproductive health care and research —issues and perspectives here today.

The age of sexual experimentation had been overestimated in males and underestimated in females in most of the studies, Dr Kundu said. The topics at the workshop included safe abortion services, adolescent reproductive health and RTIs and STDs. He added that in India, 15 per cent of males and 5 per cent of females had their first sexual experience during adolescence.

He stressed that biologically speaking, there was no difference in the reproductive health of adults and of adolescents. With HIV and AIDS assuming alarming proportions, focus needed to be shifted to adolescents, he said.

Experts stressed that while males mainly accepted information from friends, females preferred mothers and teachers. Prof Rajesh Kumar from the PGI stressed on awareness regarding risks of unsafe sex amongst adolescents and emphasised on authentic information. According to studies, in India, 30 per cent of girls between 15 to 19 years were married and 8 per cent of the births occurred in this age group, he added. Almost 25 per cent of rape victims were below the age of 16 years, he stated.

Speaking about STDs and RTIs, he said these infectious diseases were ranked among the top five categories for which adults in developing countries sought health care services. In India, NACO figures showed that prevalence of RTIs and STDs in the general community was about 15 to 20 per cent, he stated. These diseases were equally common and a major health concern for adolescents and adults alike, he added.

Speaking on the syndromic approach in STDs and RTIs, Dr N. Bedi from ICMR said since cheap and easy detection tests for these were not available at the field level, doctors relied on symptoms and signs to treat patients. She stressed on early reporting of symptoms to the specialist at the earliest as these infections increased probability of acquiring HIV from 2 to 20 per cent. The symptoms included urethral discharge in men, genital ulcers in both sexes, vaginal discharge in women and abdominal pain in the lower pelvic region, especially in women, she elaborated. Pain in lower pelvic region in women indicated an inflammatory disease, she clarified.

Men and women having any of these symptoms should immediately seek help from a qualified doctor, she said. She added that vaginal and cervical infections, if left untreated, could lead to complications like infertility, adverse outcome of pregnancy and chronic pelvic pain. These infections increased epidemiological synergy between AIDS and curable STDs, she warned

Speaking on existing and required service provisions, Dr R.S. Mishra stressed on the role of the government and National AIDS Control Organisation. Stressing on safe abortion services, Dr Indu Gupta said studies revealed that maternal mortality was highest in India. Abortion was responsible for 12 to 15 per cent of the maternal deaths in the country, she specified.

There was need for application of modern technological advances in provision of abortion services, she stated. For a significant decrease in mortality and morbidity rates due to unsafe abortion, it was essential to increase the geographical spread of safe abortion services, besides enhancing affordability, ensuring confidentiality and providing compassionate abortion care, including post-abortion counselling, she said.

SPORT

Schools celebrate sports day 
From Our Sports Reporter

The day marked athletics events in various categories namely 100 mt, 200 mt, 400 mt, 800 mt, 4x100 mt, relay for boys and girls in the under-14 and under-19 categories. Then matches in lawn tennis were conducted. The chief guest of function, Mr G. Antal, District Sports Officer, Panchkula, congratulated the students. Eshita Arora and Dharminder Gupta were declared best sportspersons in the girls’ and boys’ categories, respectively. In the skating events Smriti Chandel and Suruchi Chandel remained at first place. Deepak Sethi won the singles pool championship. Kashmir House won all-round first prize, while Assam and Andhra were declared joint second winners.

ADMINISTRATION

F&CC to take up parking sites’ auction tomorrow
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 14 — The Finance and Contract Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh will take up the issue of relocation of nurseries, auction of parking sites in some parts of Sector 17 for starting paid parking, use of Raen Basera building for running school for mentally challenged children and grant of vending licences to mobile freezers for sale of ice cream at its meeting on Friday.

The proposal of imposing paid parking in selected pockets of Sector 17, which are congested, will be considered. In the first shift, only car parking fee will be charged and handicapped persons will be exempted. While scooter and bicycles will be exempted from parking fee this time, car owners will be required to pay Rs 5 per entry. The matter pertaining to the auction of parking sites in Bank Square, Sector 17, those in front of Empire Store and Sahib Singh, Sector 17, and fixing of reserve price for the same will also be decided. If paid parking charges are approved, the proposed reserve price will net a revenue of Rs 31 lakh.

The issue of giving land to nurseries has to be finalised at this meeting. The Administration has acquired about 60 acres for nurseries, which is located between the railway track and the road leading from railway chowk to Kishangarh. The MC had earlier requested for allotting this land for an amusement park, but the same was turned down on the plea that this site had been committed for resettlement of some nurseries, for which land was being acquired separately.

In the revised layout, all nurseries have been relocated in pocket 5 as per orders of the then Administrator. The Administration has also decided to suitable compensate the MC for the financial loss, on account of diversion from institutional use to nurseries as per prevailing rates of allotment of land for institutional purposes. The place occupied by the nurseries along the Chandigarh-Kalka highway was earmarked for specialised hospital and shopping complex.

The committee will also consider the proposal sent by SDM-cum-Secretary, Indian Red Cross Society, for allotting the ground floor of Raen Basera building at Mani Majra for running a school for mentally challenged children. Since the utilisation of the building was much below the capacity of 120 persons, the building was vacated in accordance with the orders of the High Court. The authorities have now decided to put it to better use. The terms and conditions on which the place will be given to Sadhna Society, which will run the school, will also be finalised during the meeting.

The issue of granting vending licences to mobile freezers for sale of ice cream also figures on the agenda. The committee will consider the fresh and old requests of certain establishments for granting these licences in accordance with the terms contained in the Chandigarh Hand Carts (Control and Regulation) Byelaws, 1967. It is important that the ice-cream in these machine-fitted vends is stored in proper and hygienic conditions. The proposed licence fee for rehris selling ice creams will be increased to Rs 350 per unit per month instead of Rs 300.

The policy regarding operation of cable network in the city will also be reviewed in the light of the new IT policy of the Union Government. Provision of streetlights at Housing Board Chowk, Mani Majra, issue of providing parking and road lights in pocket 1, Mani Majra, enhancement of estimate of recarpetting of V-6 road in Sector 20 A and B due to increase in the cost of bitumen and change of specifications will be taken up. Revised estimate amounting to Rs 3.65 crore for providing public health services and amenities in the upgradation of Kumhar/ Janata Colony, Sector 25, has been proposed instead of Rs 2.66 crore approved earlier.

The proposal to purchase a locally manufactured road-cleaning machine at a cost of Rs 6,31,000 will also be considered. The MC had earlier decided to take in on lease for some months. Keeping in view the high rent (Rs 70,000 per month) quoted by the firm, the officials proposed that purchasing the same would be more economical and beneficial.

New software for MC
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 14 — Two software programmes relating to complaint monitoring and personal management information system, developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for the Municipal Corporation, were demonstrated before senior officials yesterday.

The MC is all set to become computer savvy as the work on providing LAN network has been completed and will be made functional on trial basis. The modifications, if required, will be made subsequently. Officials will no longer have to depend on the clerks as they will now have access to all information required on their PCs.

The second programme on complaint monitoring system will monitor in detail the public complaints, to which division the same have been marked and what action is being taken. This will also enable the councillors to check out on the problems of their wards and how the same are being attended to.

The functioning and usefulness of interactive voice record system for receiving complaints was also explained.

CHB to build IT towers
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, Nov 14 — The Chandigarh Administration has decided that the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB), instead of CITCO will construct the proposed information technology (IT) towers in Sector 47-C and 47-D.

This has been done as the CHB, with its resources and wide experience of its engineering and design wing, is better equipped than CITCO to build the towers, said sources. CITCO already has its hands full and it does not have the resources to invest initially.