The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

Call for mass leave in PGI ‘uncalled for’
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 12
In a circular issued today, the PGI Director, Prof S.K. Sharma, has called the proposed one-day mass casual leave by the Group B, C and D employees of the institute on May 22 as unjustified and illegitimate.

The letter forwarded to various administrative and departmental heads, clearly mentions that suitable legal and disciplinary action will be taken against anyone who tries to vitiate the peaceful and constructive atmosphere in the institute.

The employees are protesting against the dismissal of Mr Ashwini Munjal, a union leader, from services.

The union leader has been charged on four counts for having “committed serious acts of misconduct, resorted to coercion and physical duress, acted in manner unbecoming of an employee of the institute and failing to maintain devotion to duty.” He has also been disqualified for future employment.

Nurses urged to be compassionate
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 12
Nurses of the PGI, the GMCH, Sector 32, and the General Hospital, Sector 16, today celebrated the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, founder of the nursing profession, by organising various educational and recreational activities on the theme “Nurses are always there — united against violence.” Speaking at a function organised by the Trained Nurses Association of India in the General Hospital, Sector 16, the UT Secretary, Medical Education and Health, Mr R.S. Gujral, exhorted all to follow in the footsteps of Florence Nightingale and be compassionate and sympathetic towards sufferings of fellow human beings. Such qualities must specifically be predominant amongst nurses, who are responsible for alleviating the sufferings of the patients.

As a mark of recognistion for her services to the profession, a memento was presented to the Nursing Superintendent, Mrs S. Kathuria, by the Medical Superintendent, GMCH, sector 32, Prof Raj Bahadur.

Mr Gujral also inaugurated an exhibition of posters and models by the nurses of GMCH, Sector 32.

Mrs Rajinder Dhadda, president, TNAI, and Mrs Prakash Devi, programme coordinator, revealed that till May 18, various programmes, including panel discussions on “domestic violence and role of alcohol-induced violence” and debate on “influence of television in propagating violence” will be held.

The PGI nurses also celebrated the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale by holding discussions. Speakers were of the view that advancement of urbanisation, industrialisation and influence of foreign culture had led to more violence in society. This, in turn, results in physical, mental , social and spiritual problems.

‘Stress is in the mind’
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh , May 12
“Stress is only in the imagination”, said Dr Rakesh Gupta, a Delhi-based counsellor, while speaking ‘on Stress Eradication’, a talk organised by the local branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

Elaborating on stress and its management, Dr Gupta said, “Whenever an individual faces a situation, he or she automatically builds up a chain of negative consequences of what may happen in the mind. This leads to stress”. “Instead, if we build up a logical chain of consequences, there will be no stress,” he said, while adding that life was full of all kinds of situations and one must learn to manage them positively. The problem and the related stress will automatically stand eradicated, added Dr Gupta.

Dr G.S. Kochhar, President, IMA, in his welcome address said that negative emotions like anxiety, anger and stress can have a cumulative effect on the body, which ultimately leads to heart diseases and other problems. While on the other hand, positive emotions like happiness and joy can increase longevity by almost 10 years, he added.

Dr R. P. Sapru joins INSCOL
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, may 12
Dr R.P. Sapru, former Head of the Department of Cardiology at the PGI here, has returned to institutional practice from a couple of years of private practice, writing, and delivering lectures at medical institutions of repute. He has joined INSCOL, the only tertiary care hospital of its kind in the city, as its Medical Director and Head of the Department of Cardiology.

Dr Sapru has a doctorate in cardiolgy and related disciplines from England besides various other degrees and honours. His experience of teaching and patient-care spans a period of more than 35 years. He is a quiet but excellent poet in the English language besides being a fine prose writer. He has often written on various subjects affecting the social and cultural life of the people in our subcontinent. He has published several books and a vast number of research papers. He is widely respected for his strict sense of values, man-management and ethics. INSCOL and Dr Sapru are well-known to The Tribune, its employees and its readers.

SPORT

Academy to promote basketball
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, May 12
Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, in order to boost basketball in the region, have decided to establish Shivalik Basketball Academy in its two basketball courts from this session. The trials for the same has been fixed on May 19 and 20. According to Dr D.S. Bedi Director and Principal of the school, after the success of two other academies of this kind in hockey and volleyball, the idea was explored to have in basketball also. He said the services of former SAI basketball coach M.S. Gill will be utilised for the same. He said the age limit for the players to be inducted ranged 15 to 19 years and players having height nearing six feet will be given preference. He said free boarding, lodging and kit will also be provided to the selected cagers.

Camp for rowers

The Chandigarh Rowing Association will have a four-month training-cum-selection camp for the rowers of the city in preparation of the Chandigarh team for the National Games to be hosted by the Punjab Olympic Association and rowing event at Chandigarh in September this year. The camp will begin from May 15. Those interested may contact Mr Arvind Sehgal, a rowing coach of the CRA. The infrastructural facilities will be provided to the rowers by the association during the entire duration of the camp.

Chess team selected

A seven-member chess team has been selected for the All-India Civil Services Chess tournament to be held at Chandigarh from May 16 to 21. According to Lieut-Col C.S. Bewli, Sceretary of the Regional Sports Board, the team is: Baij Nath Prasad (AG Audit), Harinder Pal Singh and Shamsher Singh (Survey of India), Kamlesh Dadwal (P&T), Kulwant Singh, Vijay Singh and DR Rikhi (all SIB).

Summer adventure camp

The Mountaineering and Allied Sports Association, Chandigarh, will organise a summer adventure camp at Solang, 13 km from Manali, from May 24 to 29 where as many as 50 boys and girls from the entire country were expected to take part. It will involve trekking, rock-climbing, camp craft and river crossing, para-gliding and river rafting in Beas river will be an added advantage. Interested may contact at 792462.

Cricket tourney

Narinder Kwatra’s fine score of 55 runs and a superb spell by Munish Arora who claimed five wickets for just 19 runs, enabled the Mohali Gymkhana XI in beating the Devi Cricket Club by 52 runs in the semi-finals of the Ist TL Talwar Cash Prize Cricket Tournament organised by the Chandigarh Cricket Association played here today at Manav Kendra grounds.

Brief scores: Mohali Gymkhana XI:162 runs for eight wickets (Narinder Kwatra 55, Kailash Samwal 43, Kamal Walia 19 n.o., Sanjay Rana 2 for 32, Majour Singh 2 for 26, Sandeep Singh 2 for 28): Devi CC — 110 runs allout (Paramjit 22, Harinder 22, Sandeep Singh 17, Munish Arora 5for 19, Kamal Walia 2 for14).

Soccer player in new role
Arvind Katyal

Chandigarh, May 12
Sanjay Sharma is a former national soccer player of Haryana who now coaches youngsters here. This correspondent met Sanjay at a coaching clinic of the under-21 Chandigarh team that was preparing for tomorrow’s semi-final match against Punjab.

He was confident that Chandigarh would reach the final. Sanjay has taken up this coaching assignment at the persuation of the Chandigarh Football Association.

Sanjay was at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 to study soccer coaching, which he said had been a useful experience. Now, he is teaching youngsters whatever he has learnt there.

Sanjay was a good striker in his playing days. He gives the credit of his achivements to his first coach, Ravinder Bhanot of the Sports Authority of India. Ravinder used to coach Sanjay when he was a student of the Sector 8 DAV Senior Secondary School here. He took part in the National Schools Games and later in the All-India Inter University meets.

He has also played in the Santosh Trophy, the DCM Cup, Federation Cup and the other big tournaments. “The more you play, the better it is,” he said.

Sanjay said he was happy being a coach and would love to justify his selection. Dinesh Sharma, another coach of the SAI here, said Sanjay mixed up well with young players and shared good vibes with them. Mr Rakesh Bakshi, Secretary of the Chandigarh Football Association, said Sanjay’s influence would encourage football activities in the city. Sanjay is also a FIFA-certified referee. He said he was trying to convince some NRIs to sponsor football tournaments here, so that, the sport could grow in the city.