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| Saturday,
November 18, 2000, Chandigarh, India |
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‘1-2 pc of Indians have glaucoma’ CHANDIGARH According to Prof Amod Gupta, there is an urgent need to revise diagnostic approaches adopted by eye specialists. He emphasised that ophthalmologists should acquire adequate knowledge and skill before acquiring sophisticated diagnostic equipment. The main aim of the three-day annual conference of the Glaucoma Society of India is to update the current techniques of diagnosis and management of this problem. The conference, being organised by Department of Ophthalmology of the PGI, began at the institute yesterday. Prof J.P. Muliyil stressed the need for validity of newer tests before accepting these as a standard. Dr G. Chandrassekhar deliberated on techniques of optic disc evaluation. Prof Ravi Thomas
emphasised on the value of anterior chamber angle examination and interpretation of automated visual fields for early diagnosis and management of the disease. Dr Alan Robbins said new techniques like frequency doubling technology, HRT and nerve fibre analyser were important in early detection of glaucoma. Various aspects of this asymptomatic disease of the eye will be discussed by a panel of 18 Indian and three international experts in the field at the main conference. According to the organising secretary of the conference, Dr Surinder Singh Pandav, about 35 lectures and 22 research papers will be presented in 12 scientific sessions. Prof Gupta added that one to two per cent of the country’s population had glaucoma or kala motia as it was popularly known. It was advisable for all persons above the age of 40 years to get themselves screened for glaucoma, especially if one of their family members was affected by the disease, he said. The ophthalmology department at the PGI manages about 300 to 350 cases of glaucoma every month. It has the latest equipment for visual field charting and analysis, including short wavelength automated perimetry, which helps to detect glaucoma early. The institute also has equipment based on frequency doubling technology, which can screen visual fields for glaucoma in less than a minute. |
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‘Hepatitis-C
preventable and curable’ CHANDIGARH In the oration, organised by the Department of Hepatology, PGI in memory of its founder, Prof D.V. Dutta, Professor Farrell deliberated on the advances in the treatment of hepatitis-C., here today. Earlier, talking to The Tribune, he gave a comprehensive overview of the infection by the virus and its implications. Hepatitis-C is transmitted mainly through blood transfusions and needle pricks and accounts for as much as 20 per cent of the total cases of liver cirrhosis treated at the PGI. The other two being hepatitis-B and alcohol abuse. In India, with whatsoever no screening facilities available for the blood samples, the virus poses a major health problems. What are the earliest signs of an infection by hepatitis-C ? The disease is by and large asymptomatic. Earliest signs though are swelling of feet and an abdominal distention. Later of course, with more complications, it lead to upper gastrointestinal bleeding and later, even, coma. What are the main causes for the infection ? One of the main causes are blood transfusion, infected needle pricks, besides others. It is, therefore, important to screen the blood and use disposable syringes. It is, however, important to remember that prevention is better than cure as treatment is an expensive proposition. (Treatment from six months to one year may cost anything upto Rs 3 lakh). Acute hepatitis can also be drug induced as two of the combination of four drugs used for TB cure, INH and Rifampin, could also cause hepatitis. This of course can be reverted back by stopping the use of drugs. There is a vaccine for hepatitis-B in the market. What is the research progress for a vaccine for hepatitis-C ? There is a lot of work going on but as of now there is no vaccine available for the human beings. One of the vaccines has been tested in chimpanzees which has proved to be 70 per cent effective. I think it might take another five to six years to reach concrete results as the experiments have not been launched in the clinical stage as yet. What would be your message to the people ? Hepatitis -C is preventable as well as curable. There is a need for effective blood screening, using disposable syringes and maintaining medical and personal hygiene. There is a focus on this slow, smouldering disease all over the world. Hepatitis-B is much more dangerous than the C virus. However, since in many countries the transfusion facilities still do not test for hepatitis-C, there are more efforts to increase attention on it. |
3 BRD win trophy CHANDIGARH Meanwhile, the trophy for the best Air Force Wives Welfare Association (AFWWA) unit has also been bagged by the 3 BRD AFWWA unit. The trophy was received by AFWWA (Local) president, Mrs Madhu Agrawal. A note issued here said that 3 BRD has also made its mark in gymnastics. The Maintenance Command’s gymnastics team, which comprised 8 members from 3 BRD was declared runners-up at the Air Force Gymnastics Championships held at Belgaum recently. The note added that 3 BRD has become the nodal centre for the IAF hockey and weightlifting teams. The Maintenance Command team, comprising 15 members from 3 BRD won the Air Force Hockey Championship held last year. The IAF hockey team, being coached and trained at 3 BRD, were the runners-up in the Traders Cup at Nainital, All India Lal Bahadur Shastri Tournament Cup at Guna and All India Kuppuswamy Cup at Chennai. ITBP meet: Meanwhile, seven bouts of various categories were held during the first ITBP Boxing Championship today. Uma Datt (Training) and Ram Krishan (J&K - II) were declared as the winner and runners-up, respectively, in the fly weight class. In the bantam weight, Shiv Prashad (Training) and Sanjeev Kumar (J&K-II) secured the top two positions. |
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Hockey title
for GGSCW CHANDIGARH In the final placings, MCM DAV College for Women secured second place, Khalsa College for Women, Sidhwan Khurd, third place and Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana, fourth place. In today’s matches, Khalsa College for Women, Sidhwan Khurd, b Khalsa College for Women, Ludhiana, 1-0 GGS College for Women, Chandigarh, b MCM DAV College for Women, Chandigarh, 1-0. Mini-ball badminton: |
Fee for mobile freezers hiked CHANDIGARH The terms and conditions on which the place is to be given to Sadhna Society, which will run the school, were also finalised. The building was recently vacated in accordance with the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court since it was being used much below the capacity of 120 persons. With a view to put it to better use, the proposal was sent by the SDM-cum-Secretary, Indian Red Cross Society. The members also approved the proposed increase in the vending licence fee for the mobile freezers selling ice-cream from Rs 300 to Rs 350 per month per unit. The committee also decided that the machine fitted vends would bear the MC licence number as this would help the authorities check unauthorised vendors selling ice-cream. The committee approved the illumination of Housing Board Chowk, Mani Majra, now converted into the traffic light point on the Chandigarh-Panchkula road. It was decided to put 28 poles at a cost of Rs 8.68 lakh. It did not approve the item pertaining to providing fans and other electrical fittings on the ground floor of the MC building housing the offices of middle-rung officials. The members asked them to submit revised estimates at the next meeting as they found that the present estimate of Rs 87,000 was too much for the work. The members also decided to reimburse Rs 250 per month as part payment of the telephone bill at the residences of SDEs in the engineering wing of the MC. This amount will be paid even to those officials who do not have telephones on their name. Those having pagers will be paid Rs 150 per month. Ms Ranjana Shahi, a member of the committee, demanded that a list of MC employees getting telephone or pager allowance be tabled at the next meeting. This would help ensure that there was no overlapping and those who getting telephone allowance did not claim pager allowance, and vice versa. Ms Shahi further pointed out that many of the officials on field duty did not have pagers, while many drivers and PAs of officials had these. The field officials should be given pagers to further improve the functioning and a list of all those who had it was also sought so that pagers could be provided to those who did not have these. The criteria of issuing pagers also needed to be reviewed, she added. The issue of repayment of the loan taken by the erstwhile NAC Mani Majra (now merged with MC) was also discussed. The MC has paid Rs 2.07 crore and is yet to pay Rs 87 lakh to the Administration, of which Rs 35 lakh is the interest amount. The matter was referred to the House for a final decision as the sum was more than Rs 20 lakh. Ms Shahi suggested that MC made the remaining payment in kind by auctioning booths etc. It was also decided that the issue pertaining to charging of ground rent from cable operators would be taken up only after the policy regarding cable networks in the city was reviewed by the Administration. This had been decided at the last meeting. Important items pertaining to introducing paid parking in some parts of Sector 17, relocation of nurseries and purchase of a new road cleaning machine could not be taken up today as the meeting was adjourned midway when the Mayor received the news about a relative’s death. The same will be taken up at the next meeting. |
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