HEALTH

Conference of ENT specialists from today
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 3 — The main aim of the 53rd annual conference of the Association of Otolaryngologist of India which begins in the PGI tomorrow is to address and find solutions to some major ENT problems and discuss the latest advancements in the field.

Addressing the mediapersons, here today, Prof S.B.S. Mann, Director-Principal of the GMCH and former head of the ENT Department of the PGI, said that deafness which is a national problem and affects as many as 100 million people of the country can be due to a variety of reasons. Deliberations in the conference will also include discussions on noise pollution, noise trauma, cancer at the base of the skull and treatment by LASER therapy.

Another highlights of this four-day conference, being held for the second time after 36 years in Chandigarh, include a live demonstration by Dr Ashok Gupta, Associate Professor in the ENT Department, PGI. The conference was held in the institute way back in 1965. As many as 1500 delegates from India and abroad are expected to attend this conference.

Electronics has made some amazing contributions to the mute and lonely world of the deaf. The digitalised hearing aids nowadays are far from the bulky and cumbersome contraptions of yesteryears. Comprising of an array of electrodes which are connected to a microphone which further converts sound into electrical energy and transmits the impulses to the brain. Eminent specialists, including Dr Sandra De Souza, Dr S.K. Kelkar and Dr William House, will address a special session on this topic.

An otherwise unpleasant but interesting problem like snoring will also be discussed. According to Prof Mann, this relatively innocuous condition may in fact be part of disease called obstructive sleep apnoea or Pickwickian Syndrome and can even lead to heart and lung failure and intellectual deterioration.

According to Prof Mann, in the today’s world of advanced information technology when latest information is available at the press of a button, conferences such as these provide wonderful opportunity learners and experts alike.

The other highlights of the conference include a CME instruction course on phonography apart from Joshi Memorial Oration, Hiranandani Oration, Grewal Memorial Plenary Session, Joe Desa Memorial Plenary Session, Jaiswal Video Session, Prem Kakkar Session and Vertin Quiz.

SPORT

400 m gold for Veena Yadav
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, Jan 3 — Veena Yadav, a student of the Sector 20 Government Model Senior Secondary School, won a gold medal in the 400 m race in the girls’ under-18 section of the UT State Athletics Championship that is being played here.

Earlier, the meet was inaugurated by Mr Ravinder Talwar, Senior Vice-President of the Amateur Athletics Association of Chandigarh. Surinder Singh of the CISF won a gold medal each in the high jump, javelin throw and triple jump events.

In the girls’ under-16 section, Pawandeep of the Sector 18 Sports Training Centre won the 100 m race. Sunil Kumar of the Sector 10 DAV College won a gold medal each in the triple jump and 400 m events, besides a silver medal in the 100 m race.

The others who won gold medals in various events are as follows: Men (5,000 m) — Mohinder Singh (Chandigarh police); shot put — Deepinder Gill (SGGSC-26); 100 m — Gurpreet Singh (SGGSC-26); high jump — Surinder Singh (CISF); javelin throw — Surinder Singh (CISF); 400 m — Gurpreet Singh (SGGSC-26); 800 m — Amarinder Singh (SGGSC-26).

Boys (under-22): 20 km walk — Amardeep Singh (DAVC-10); 800 m — Dharamvir (Chandigarh Home Guards); 5,000 m (under-20) — Puran Chand (GGSC-26); 10 km walk — Gurdhian Singh (DAVC-10); shot put — Bikramjit Singh (DAVC-10); 100 m — Ved Prakash (SGGSC-26); javelin throw — Bikramjit Singh (DAVC-10), Himmat (GMSSS-27), Jugraj Singh (SGGSC-26), Harish Singh (SDPS-32); triple jump — Karamvir Pannu (SGGSC-26).

Boys (under-18): Shot put — Kanwal Sawant (Shivalik Public School-41); and 100 m — Amanbir Singh (DAVC-10).

ADMINISTRATION

EOs to share MC work
Tribune News Service

SAS NAGAR, Jan 3 — The work of the SAS Nagar Municipal Council will be divided between the two executive officers (EOs) of the civic body by the end of this week. A possibility of dividing the town in two parts or dividing the work using the main road dividing Phase 7 and 8 as the dividing line was being explored by the elected body. The decision to bifurcate the work was taken in the last meeting of the council held on December 27 last.

Mr Kulwant Singh, president of the council, did not specify the time in which the work would be divided but said it would done soon. The municipal councillors had given powers to the president to study different possibilities of dividing the work after it was felt that the Additional Executive Officer (AEO) was underworked. The issue of curtailing certain powers of the Executive Officer (EO) was also taken up during the meeting.

Mr N.K. Marwaha, a councillor, said the division of work will result in more efficiency and better service. At present, the Additional Executive Officer (AEO) was looking after the work of octroi collection and enforcement and the Executive Officer was looking after the work of sanitation, development works of the entire town, public dealing and the accounts. Now the council plans to divide the development work equally. Sources in the council said the surplus staff in different wings of the civic body would also get some work after the exercise of division of work was completed.

The sources said while there were an Executive Officer (EO) and an Additional Executive Officer (AEO), the staff with the local fire station was woefully short. Against a requirement of over 40 firemen there were only 15 firemen and four drivers with the Fire Department. Similarly, there was a requirement of over 400 safai karamcharais against the present strength of 120 workers. Privatisation of sanitation in certain parts of the town had eased the problem to some extent. There was also shortage of staff in the octroi wing.

Meanwhile, the council is taking up the issue of extending the limits of the civic body with the Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA). The council was losing over Rs 40 lakh annually on account of octroi collection with the industrial area due to slump in the industrial sector. The inclusion of new areas would add to the octroi collection of the civic body. 

JEs hail decision
From Our Correspondent

SAS NAGAR, Jan 3 — The PWD Junior Engineers (promotee) Association, Punjab, held a function here today to thank the government for having promoted a number of officials to the rank of JE.

Mr Swinder Singh Lakhowal, chairman of the association, said 85 officials had been promoted. Earlier they were working as work inspectors, junior draughtsmen and draughtsmen. As most of them were already drawing salaries given to JEs, the government’s step would not put any financial burden on the exchequer.