HEALTH

Stone of hospital block laid
From Our Correspondent

SAS NAGAR, March 5 — The foundation stone of the extension block of the local Civil Hospital was laid here today by the Ropar Civil Surgeon, Dr Rajinder Singh Sagoo.

Work began on the Rs 2-crore project covering 3,000 sq metres. The building will have the gynaecology and diagnostic departments and operating theatres (OTs) on the ground floor. On the first floor, there will be three more OTs, two of these for major surgeries. There will be eight general wards on the first floor and one special ward. However, no provision has been made in the present set-up for a blood bank.

The plan of the project, which is likely to be completed by February next year, has been approved by the World Bank, Mr N.K. Agarwal, SDE, Punjab Health Systems Corporation, said.

There are apprehensions that if staff members are not sanctioned by the time the building is completed, the extension will be of little use to the residents. This had happened some time ago in the case of a government hospital at Anandpur Sahib which was completed but no staff were sanctioned.

According to the original plan, the hospital was to have a five-storey building and upgraded to 200 beds, but the long delay in the start of the work has led to an increase in costs and it will now be expanded only to the level of a 100-bedded hospital.

Ayurveda branch opened
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 5 — With a view to cure chronic ailments, the Santhigiri Ayurveda and Siddha Vaidyasala has opened its branch at Panchkula, near here.

According to Mr Manish Dutt, Branch Manager, the medicines are: meni nokki churnam for diabetes, hridaya shanti for blood pressure, artiban capsules for arthritis, murivenna oil for acute joint pains and lakshmi vilasam for migraine.

He said over 500 medicines were manufactured by the vaidyasala with 50 being patent medicines.The medicines are prepared from over 10,000 varieties of special herbs, which are grown in herbal gardens at Thiruvananthapuram.

Dr Shree who had come from Kerala, said, “Njavarkizhi is a treatment where hot medicated cooked special rice boluses bound pouches are applied to the body rhythmically and massaged to induce sweating. This is a strengthening fomentation employed in neurological disorders, rheumatism, arthritis and emaciation of limbs.”

Sleeplessness and hypertension can be cured using siro-dhara in which oil is poured as an even stream on the forehead continuously to pacify. This treatment is also good for preventing and curing diseases like migraine, paralysis and other neurological ailments, Dr Shree added.

SPORT

Anu among hockey probables
From Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, March 5 — Anu Kumari, a trainee of Sports Authority of India, Sports Training Centre, Sector 18, figures in the 21-member list of Indian women hockey probables announced by Indian Women’s Hockey Federation. As per communication reaching here with Mr Jaswinder Singh, senior SAI hockey coach, Anu will attend the national coaching camp to be held at National Institute of Sports, Patiala, from March 7 to April 8.

Anu had earlier played in Germany in an international hockey tournament. Sita Gussain, Sunita Dalal and Kamla Dalal, former trainees of this SAI, Sector 18 centre, were also among those selected. Sita who captained Indian hockey team many times, was also the lone hockey player selected from India in the World XI in 1999 when they played a platinum jubilee match in Egypt.

But the surprise omission in this senior list of probables was of Roohi Dhillon, another versatile hockey player who had also attended national camps in the past. Roohi had undergone six months’ rigorous training at Melbourne, Australia, in 1999, which had helped her game improve, since Australian women hockey was considered to be best in the entire world.

Cricket match

IS Bindra XI played a valiant game to score a handsome 70 runs first innings lead against MP Pandove XI in the cricket match played here at PCA Stadium, SAS Nagar. Batting first, Pankaj Dharmani a Ranji player, scored a brilliant 121 runs, followed by another star player Vikram Rathore, who made 59 runs, with Udai Kaul and Yuvraj Singh also contributing 39 and 37 runs, respectively. Pankaj and Udai had a 91-runs partnership. Vineet Sharma and Sandeep Sharma were the highest wicket-takers for Pandove XI as they bagged three wickets each . Navdeep Singh captured two wickets.

In reply, Pandove XI were all out for 278 runs in 77 overs. Harminder Jugnu made 122 runs, followed by Navdeep Singh, who scored 38 runs, with Jugnu and Navdeep involved in a partnership of 100 runs. Bhupinder Singh made 36 runs. Gagandeep and Ravneet Ricky both took two wickets each.

In second innings at the close of stumps, IS Bindra XI were four without loss. Munish Sharma at four runs and Sandeep Sharma, yet to open his account, were at the crease. 

Plan to promote sports in schools
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, March 5 — The UT Education Department is taking steps to promote sports in a big way from the next academic session. A survey of play grounds in the schools is being carried out currently.

Besides games involving mass participation such as football, hockey, volleyball, basketball, special attention will be given to promote athletics at the same time. The department is determined to utilise even campus of small schools for at least two or three sports.

According to the DPI (Schools), UT, Mr D.S. Saroya, the senior secondary government schools, constructed in early 70’s have big grounds in comparison to the new schools.

The grounds in all schools will be adequately prepared. Steps are being initiated to make school grounds full of activities even in the evening. The students will be encouraged to use grounds after the school hours in the evening under the expert guidance and supervision of physical education teachers. Students of government schools can utilise grounds of schools in the area of their residence by showing their identity cards. The plan is to provide volleyball courts in all the schools within a month as little amount of money is needed to set up the courts.

Mr Saroya has called a meeting on March 7 of the principals to chalk out a time-bound programme for each school individually.