HEALTH

50 pc students are anaemic: study
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 14
A large number of youngsters in the city are anaemic. This was revealed in a study done by Dr Tejinder Singh, Professor, Department of Paediatrics, CMC.

The study comprised postgraduate students of the college. The study attributed their poor state of health to habit of eating junk food. It was found that about 50 to 60 per cent of students of Classes VII to X were anaemic.

Dr Alex Mani, a postgraduate student involved in the study, said, “These children were found to be listless and poor. We got their tests done free of cost. The parents were told to change the dietary habits. Medicines were prescribed. In case of very poor children samples of medicines were given”.

Next time your child is not doing well in studies get his haemoglobin tested. Dr Alex said soft drinks were bad for teeth.

Dr Tejinder Singh said, “I think our traditional diet of dal, roti, sabzi and dahi and other milk products is most balanced and nutritious. Simple roasted gram, gur, peanuts and soybean are highly nutritious. Eggs and meat are not required. I do not recommend that fruits should substitute main food”.

The parents give fruit juices to their children with the result that child may lose appetite.

A child must have wholesome food and then an orange, or a banana, papaya or a mango. All yellow coloured vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamin A. Fruit is a supplement and not the primary food.

Rare heart surgery
Shivani Bhakoo

Ludhiana, April 14
When Manjit Singh, barely 22, suffered from frequent breathlessness, little did he realise that he was suffering from a heart disease. Had he been born a decade ago, his illness would have only turned into a nightmare for his family. But fortunately due to the advancement in medical technology, Manjit is today recovering from the rheumatic heart disease that inflicted him. With the help of ‘Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery’, it is not long before he would be able to resume normal activity.

The surgery, conducted with the help of small cameras inserted into the patient’s body and small robotic arms, is perhaps first of its kind being performed in the city by renowned cardiologist, Dr Murtaza Chishti.

Dr Chishti, while talking about the surgery, stated that open heart surgery became common after the advent of the heart lung machine in early fifties. With better technology, material and more surgical experience, the results improved and open heart surgery became as low in risk as the abdominal surgery.

The ultimate goal of this surgery was to relieve Manjit Singh effectively for as long as possible with little risk to life and as few side effects as possible, Dr Chishti said. Surgeons have been using different ways of achieving this goal. The Minimal Invasive Heart Surgery includes minimum side-effects, pain, blood loss, speedy recovery and quick return to normal life. The size of the incision is limited by the surgeon’s need to be able to see the area of interest, then reach the area to repair the defect.

The advanced technology has been used to solve the problem of visualisation and access. For the surgery, miniaturised cameras and light transmitting tubes are inserted into the patient’s body through pencil sized holes. These cameras provide the surgeon a 3D image of the patient’s inside. Through voice commands, the cameras can be moved by the surgeon to get the desired view.

As far the problem of access is concerned, it is taken care by the Robotic Arm passed into the patient via small holes. The arms are controlled by the computer. The surgeon’s hand movements as he would do in an open operation are exactly followed by the robotic hand inside the patient.

While talking to Ludhiana Tribune here today, Dr Chishti said that operation was conducted to prevent the leakage from the heart valves of Manjit Singh. It is basically called Rheumatic Heart Disease caused by the throat infection when the virus later attacks the heart valves.

Dr Chishti said except for bleeding, pain and infection, the operation had no other side effect and the patient could lead a normal healthy life.