The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

Hypertension rate high in city
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 23
Studies reveal that 25 to 30 per cent of the Indian population suffers from hypertension, with Mumbai, Ludhiana and Jaipur ranking highest in the list. This was disclosed by Dr B.K. Sharma, winner of the BC Roy Award and former director of the PGI in Chandigarh, during the 23rd public health lecture on hypertension, organised at Dumra Auditorium, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, last evening.

Dr Sharma said hypertension had emerged as a big threat and the media should play a positive role by creating awareness about it. He said till the 17th century people did not know the meaning of blood pressure. He added that Stephen Hale, a priest, experimented on a mare in 1733 and found that there was a force in the heart which circulated the blood. The instrument to measure blood pressure was invented in 1896, he said.

Dr Sharma said blood pressure affected all parts of the body and the normal BP rate should be below 140/90. A survey on children between the age of 7 and 16 years had revealed that BP kept increasing with age.

“It goes up with exercise for a while, but one should not worry about it as it comes down to normal by exercising continuously,” added Dr Sharma. In some countries, doctors could predict the number of heart attacks in a particular season. Most of the heart attacks took place in the morning.

Dr Sharma revealed that in rural areas, the percentage of persons having high blood pressure was less, but due to stress and tension, the problem of hypertension had spread to villages also. It could trigger stroke, coronary heart diseases, cognitive decline, kidney failure and eye ailments also, he warned. He stated that a study conducted in Ludhiana had revealed that hypertension was more common in the labour class than among the elite.

The main causes of hypertension were obesity, exercise, lipid profile, excessive salt intake, smoking, alcohol, stress and discontentment, he said. He added that brisk walk and exercise, healthy vegetarian food and control over salt intake could help control hypertension. Fried food with more calories should be avoided, he said.

Nuclear Disarmament Day
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 23
The Indian Doctors For Peace and Development (IDPA) will observe May 11 as Nuclear Disarmament Day.

According to a press note issued here today by Dr L.S. Chawla, president, IDPA, this was decided in a meeting of the central council of the IDPA which was held in Delhi. Nuclear weapons can never serve as deterrence as has been proved by the Kargil episode, stated the press note. Dr Chawla opined that the amount spent on such armaments, could be used for providing food, shelter, healthcare and education to millions of our deprived children.

He said the IDPD would coordinate with other organisation to generate public opinion against these weapons through meeting, processions, writings etc.

ADMINISTRATION

‘Funds crisis not to affect development’
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 23
Mr Sukhdev Singh Libra, member of Rajya Sabha, has assured adequate funds for development works in rural areas, saying rural population would be provided civic amenities on par with those available to city people and that the financial restraints would not affect the pace of development projects.

Mr Libra was addressing a rural gathering after laying the foundation stone of sewerage plant in Beermi village under the Dakha Assembly segment. He presented a cheque for Rs 1 lakh to the village panchayat for development works.

Mr Bikramjit Singh Khalsa, Akali Dal legislator from Dakha, while claiming that development grants had been released to almost all villages in his constituency, criticised the previous Congress governments for what he described as persistent neglect of development works in villages.

The sarpanch expressed gratitude on behalf of the rural population to Mr Libra and Mr Khalsa for their continued efforts for the welfare of the people.

Among others Mr Sukhwinderpal Singh Garcha, General Secretary Sarb Hind Shiromani Youth Akali Dal, Mr Piara Singh Beermi, Mr Sukhdev Singh Chak Kalan, Mr Charanjit Singh Dakha, Mr Bhupinderpal Singh Chawla, Mr Sumit Kumar Khanna and Mr Gurjit Singh were present at the occasion.

Govt to issue stamp on Swami Ram Nand soon
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 23
The Union Government will soon issue a commemorative postal stamp in memory of Swami Ram Nand, the founder of ‘Bairag Math’. This was disclosed by Mr Bal Kavi Bairagi, Member Rajya Sabha and chief Ppatron of the All-India Bairagi Maha Mandal in a brief speech at railway station here last evening.

Mr Bairagi also said he would be taking up the issue of other outstanding demands of the Bairagi community with the government and was quite optimistic about the outcome.

Earlier, the office-bearers of the Bairagi Maha Mandal, Punjab and its district presidents, headed by Mr Krishan Kumar Bawa, State president of the body, extended a rousing reception to Mr Bairagi at the railway station. Mr Pawan Diwan, chairman, Urban Development Cell of the Indian Youth Congress and the District President of the Cell Mr Akshay Bhanot, along with a large number of youth were among those, who welcomed Mr Bairagi.

Prominent among others present on the occasion were a former Punjab Minister Mr Malkat Singh Dakha, Mr Jagdev Singh Jassowal, Mr Sat Pal Beri, Mr Hari Ram Bawa, Dr Rajinder Pal Bairagi, Mr Ravinder Nandi and Mr Jiwan Das Bawa.

DFSO’s post still vacant
Our Correspondent

Samrala, April 23
Mr G L Grover, District Food and Supply Officer (DFSO), here was transferred to Jagraon about one month back but no orders of any fresh posting have been issued by the Punjab Government, causing inconvenience to the general public and commission agents at the grain market. Mr Pawan Gupta, block president of the BJP, Jathedar Joginder Singh Seh, Senior Vice-President of the Shiromani Akali Dal and Jathedar Jagjeewan Singh Khirnian, chairman of the local land mortgage bank, have demanded to fill this post immediately.