HEALTH

700 examined at health camp
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, April 17
Over 700 patients were examined on the second day of the family health awareness campaign launched in the district by the district Health Department, in collaboration with the Aids Control Society at Pinjore.

The first phase of the fortnight-long campaign which began yesterday saw over 500 patients at the 10 camp sites, targetting patients with HIV. Aimed at creating an awareness on sexually transmitted diseases, the doctors at the camps have been asked to identify cases in the district.

Covering a population of 2.66 lakh, the Health Department has set a target of examining a population of 1.20 lakh during the campaign to be held in two phases, the second phase scheduled to commence from April 22. Special camps would be held in Kalka, Pinjore, Old Panchkula, Morni, Raipur Rani, Hangola, Barwala, Kot and Indira colony.

The Chief Medical Officer, Dr HC Nagpal, said that the campaign aimed at spreading awareness about sexually transmitted diseases, especially people in the age group of 15 to 49 years. He added that the patients would be treated free of costs for certain diseases during the campaign covering as many as 257 villages. Patients would also be given free medicines for STDs.

The District Health Officer, Dr Vijay Garg, appealed to the panchayats of villages to come forward and spread the message of the campaign in their respective villages and ensure more and more people turn up to get themselves tested for HIV.

600 attend medical camp at Mauli Jagran
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 17
As many as 600 persons attended the awareness-cum-medical camp organised at Mauli Jagran colony by the State AIDS Control Society, UT, on the second day of ‘Yauvan Mangal mela’ today. Of these 280 people availed the diagnosis and treatment services at the camp, 20 blood samples were also drawn for further investigation from the patients.

The fortnight-long family health awareness campaign being observed in Northern India from April 16-30 under the new title ‘Yauvan Mangal mela’ aims at scaling up awareness about HIV/AIDS in the vulnerable groups of population, making the public aware about the services available in the public health system for the management of reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and sexually transmitted infections (STDs), facilitating early detection and prompt treatment of STD/RTI cases.

The preraks of Adult Education Department and anganwadi workers of the Social Welfare department, Chandigarh Administration, were helpful in conducting the camp along with the volunteers of two NGOs — Surya Foundation and Citizens Awareness group. The diagnosis and treatment of RTIs and STDs was done by qualified doctors of the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, PGIMER. These infections have a strong relation with the rate of spread of HIV/AIDS.

Medicines were made available to patients suffering from these infections. Condoms and informational material was distributed free of cost to all those who required them.

To further generate awareness among the public, folk songs, drama and magic show was staged by the trained teams of Song and Drama Division of the Government of India. They highlighted awareness messages regarding various routes of transmission of HIV. Besides this, AIDS awareness talk on blood safety, STDs and behaviour change were also delivered by the staff of the AIDS control society.

Meanwhile, 450 people attended the first AIDS awareness-cum-medical camp organised yesterday at Government Middle School, Phase-I, of Ram Darbar colony.

Of these 188 patients sought treatment of STIs/RTIs and 21 blood samples were collected from the patients who offered the same voluntarily for further investigations. Counselling services were also provided to the visitors.

Dr Rameshwar Chander, Director, Health Services, UT, who was the chief guest at the camp stressed upon the importance of early treatment of STIs/RTIs. The camp was organised by the State AIDS Control Society in collaboration with Family Planning Association of India, Mohali branch.

The local youth club of Ram Durbar, Jackson Star Group, gave a cultural programme on AIDS awareness at the camp.

Better facilities sought for polyclinic
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 17
The residents Welfare Society, Sector 46, have in a letter written to the Director, Health Services, UT, Dr Rameshwar Chander, sought better infrastructure for Government Polyclinic, Sector 45, which had been upgraded from a primary health centre last year. The president of the society, Mr S.P Jand has pointed out the need for certain facilities including provision of bio-chemistry tests in the laboratory, a technician for operating the existing X-ray machine, posting orthopaedics, children and skin surgery doctors in the polyclinic at the earliest. The members of the society have also expressed their gratitude to the UT Administration for upgrading the Sector 22 government polyclinic to a full-fledged multi-speciality government hospital.

SPORT

Star in the making
Arvind Katyal

Chandigarh, April 17
Fourteen-year-old Sania Mirza is participating in the seniors’ section of the ITF tennis meet, which began at CLTA courts, Sector 10, here yesterday. She wants to make it big like Steffi Graf.

In January, Sania bagged the ITF juniors tennis title here. A Class X student at Nasr School in Hyderabad, she says playing against seniors now will help in building more confidence and stronger temperament. Her mother, Ms Nasima Imran Mirza, accompanies Sania to tournaments most of the time.

A niece of former test cricketer Ghulam Ahmed, Sania took to tennis at the age of seven. She was coached by P.K. Jain at Nizam Club. She won many titles in under-12 and under-14 sections of Adidas masters two years back. She is currently ranked 55th in the juniors’ section.

Sania had earlier this year won ITF tennis tournaments in Chandigarh, Kolkata and Dhaka. She also took part in the level 2 and 3 ITF meets in Malaysia, Singapore, Pattaya and Manila. She is a member of the Indian youth team for the Youth World Cup, to be held in Jakarta in Indonesia.

Sania plans to play in four grand slam meets in juniors’ section. Fulfilling her aim in seniors’ section may take another four years, she adds. She may be the first woman tennis player from India to scale dizzy heights.

ADMINISTRATION

Encroachments removed
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 17
The Roads Division and enforcement staff of Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, as part of its drive today removed as many as 150 encroachments in the form on concrete structures, platforms and steps from the main bazar in Mani Majra.

The drive, which was conducted under the supervision of the Executive Engineer, Mr Mukesh Anand, started at 9 am and continued for nine hours without report of any toward incident.

Mr Anand said the encroachments were hampering traffic on the roads. The shopkeepers had used stones on the extended pavements. But with this cleaning up of the area, the market gives a more open look and the roads will be much wider after re-carpeting.

Employees of the civic body not only removed the unauthorised constructions, but also removed malba from the sites. The drive is expected to continue tomorrow also since all encroachments in the area could not be removed today.

Earlier, few encroachments, including unauthorised staircases and pavements, were removed from the Samadhi Gate area in Mani Majra.

New EO to give priority to sanitation
Our Correspondent

SAS Nagar, April 17
The new Executive Officer of the Municipal Council, Mr H. B. Garg, said here today that he would give priority to improvement in sanitation and sought public cooperation to have a cleaner town.

Mr Garg, who has been transferred from Nangal and took over on Thursday, said he visited the Madanpur area today and found that residents of that village were dumping cowdung into the sewer, which was wrong. It was in such cases where public cooperation was a must.

He said unlike Nangal different agencies here like the council, PUDA and the Public Health Department were involved in carrying out various kinds of work which created problems.

Mr Garg felt there not enough checking to stop octroi evasion. He had given written orders to the supervisory staff to gear up to plug the leakage of octroi. Even though the strength of the staff concerned was inadequate — only three inspectors and one superintendent — they could still increase the frequency of checking.

He gave an assurance that proper stress would be laid on the development aspect. The problem of stray animals would also be looked into, though in the case of cows the issue was sensitive as people sometimes gave a wrong twist to it, he added.