The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

Disease surveillance must for malaria control
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 13
Global warming, industrialisation, changing life style, migration of population are a few causes which are aggravating the threat of malaria. But as per a prediction, it was now possible to meet the threat. These were some of the observations made during a panel discussion on prevention and control of malaria organised here today.

To devise strategy for fighting the disease, experts from the PGI, the CRI, Kasuali, representatives of the health departments of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Army, Air force, ITBP and CRPF stressed the need for disease surveillance for issuing prior warnings.

Speakers pointed out that global warming causes rains and floods. The number of earthquakes had also grown four times during the past 30 years. Temperature of the earth had already gone up by about 0.3 to 0.6 per cent and was likely to increase by 2 per cent during the next 20 to 30 years, warned the experts. Global warming, besides heat and humidity, helped in growth of mosquitoes which caused malaria.

While research work and initial trials for developing a malaria vaccine are on, uncertainty still prevails over the time it will take for the vaccine to be introduced. Elaborating on the topic, ‘malaria vaccine — a distant dream’ during the panel discussions on prevention and control of malaria, today, Dr (Mrs) Usha Swaran Singh, Director, Central Research Institute, Kasauli, said that given the life cycle of malarial bacteria, it was likely to take some time.

Delivering the inaugural address, the Director, Health Services, Dr Rameshwar Chander, said emergence and reemergence of the disease was posing a major threat to various national programmes. Stressing on disease surveillance for effective management, he said, health scenario required adequate control measures. A replica of a painting, “a fever spirit of the marshes,” was also unveiled on the occasion.

The Assistant Director, Malaria, Dr G.C. Bansal, highlighting salient features of various topics of the panel discussion, stressed the need for combating the vector borne diseases in collaboration with curative agencies. The outcome of the panel discussions would be used as guiding principles for chalking out a future strategy to combat resurgence of malaria.

Highlighting the effect of climate and change in the eco-system, Mr Manmohan Singh, a meteorologist, said rapid climatic changes in the past decade had contributed tremendously to resurfacing of certain diseases which had once disappeared. Dr Alka Kothari, said that good monsoon was helpful in malaria control programme despite the fact that it also gave boost to their breeding of mosquitoes.

Discussing the role of insecticides in the present scenario, panelists emphasised that these should be used judiciously and selectively and only when other alternatives were not available. Mosquitoes were gradually becoming resistant to the prevalent insecticides, therefore these should be used in selected areas and only in emergencies. The panelists were also of the view that best course for control of disease was inter-sectorial collaboration and community participation. Although awareness level among the masses was satisfactory, but it had still not produced the desired results and a new socio-economic strategy needed to be developed, they said.

While the panel noted that incidents of malaria have shown a declining trend in the northern parts of the country. It made certain recommendations for a more effective control.

* Parameters should be drawn for prior warning of the outbreak of malaria.

* Impact of changes in the eco-system, which can affect health conditions, should be taken care of.

* Since malaria vaccine is a distant dream, personal protection and healthy environment are a must.

* Role of insecticides should be limited.

* Community participation should be ensured by involving panchayats and others bodies by providing incentives.

SPORTS

Harbir, Navneet to head basketball team

Chandigarh, June 13
Harbir Singh of DAV College, Sector 10 and Navneet Kaur of I S Dev Samaj Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 21, will lead the boys and girls basketball teams in the 52nd Junior National Basketball Championship respectively. The championship will be held at Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, from June 17 to June 24. This was stated by Mr K. S. Bharti, Honorary Secretary of Chandigarh Basketball Association, in a press note.

The team consists of Boys: Harbir Singh (capt.) and Neeraj Hooda (DAV College, Sector 10), Narinder (SD College, Sector 32), Rajinder Pal, Balraj Singh, Vishal Kolhi (DAV School, Sector 10), Haramerdeep Singh, Sangram Singh (Govt. Model Senior. Secondary School, Sector 33), Yogeshwer Singh (SGGS College, Sector 26), Rajdeep Singh, Sunil, Rajdeep Singh, Gursimran Singh (SD Public School, Sector 32). Stand-by Aman Chhiber.

Girls: Navneet Kaur (captain.), Shweta, Amandeep Kaur, Harpreet Kaur, Manpreet Kaur (IS Dev Samaj School, Sector 21), Sarita, Jatinder Kaur (Government. College, Sector 42), Pushpa Devi (Bhawan Vidyalaya, Sector 27), Deepika Mohan, Shriya Singh (Carmel Convent School, Sector 9), Kanchan (Government. Model Senior. Secondary, School, Sector 16) and Kavita Rawat (Government. Girls Senior. Secondary, School, Sector 8).

Mr Amarjit Singh and Mr Chander Prakesh Thakur will be the coaches for the boys and girls team respectively.

Snooker tourney from June 21

The hot weather Open YWCA Billiards and Snooker Championship will be held from June 21 to June 30 at the YWCA Hall, Sector 11. The championship will have five events: Open Snooker, Junior Snooker, Handicap Snooker and Open Billiards. The championship will be held under the aegis of the Haryana Billiards and Snooker Association. Entries can be submitted to Mr Shashi Karan or general secretary of the YWCA till 5 p.m. by June 20.

PU hockey team placed second

The Punjabi University women’s hockey team, earlier placed third in the all-India inter-university women’s hockey tournament held in Chandigarh recently, has now been placed second by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) sports board. According to the AIU sports board communication received by the Director (Sports), Punjabi University, the Punjab University women’s hockey team placed second in the tournament, has been scrapped. Subsequently the Punjabi University team has been placed second.

ADMINISTRATION

MC staff hold rally
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 13
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Public Health Workers Union organised a gate rally yesterday in Sector 32 to mobilise workers to participate in dharna on June 20. The call for the dharna has been given by the co-ordination committee of government employees and MC workers of the UT.

While addressing the rally, the leaders condemned the Chandigarh Administration and MC authorities for not accepting and implementing the demands of workers. The general secretary of the union, Mr Rajinder Katoch, appealed to the workers to participate in mass dharna of June 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. near the Chandigarh Housing Board chowk in Sector 16.

Their demands include that the employees who have been transferred form the Chandigarh Administration to the corporation be treated on deputation with the corporation; regularisation of daily-wage employees; uniform for Class III and IV workers; release of bonus for the year 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000; technical scales to all categories; filling of vacant posts; concession in water bills to workers of the water supply department; ex-gratia payment to the members of the family of a deceased employee and that the retirement dues to be cleared on the day of retirement.

The rally was addressed by Mr Bal Krishan, president, Federation of UT Employees and Workers, UT; Mr Jagbir Singh, president, MC Sewerage Employees Union; Mr Jai Pal of the UT Building Maintenance Workers Union; Mr Jasmer Singh, member co-ordination committee of government and MC employees workers; Mr Avtar Singh, general secretary, Water Supply MC Meter Section Worker Union, Mr Amrik Singh, Mr Sat pal, Mr Kaka Singh, Mr Ram Lal, Mr Chain Singh and Mr Shamsher Singh.