HEALTH

New hope for bald men
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 11
About half of the male population suffer from androgenetic alopecia (gradual hair loss, which starts from the frontal part of the head and keeps on spreading) by the age of 40 and about 5 per cent of males under 20. This was disclosed by Dr Alka Dogra, Head, Dermatology Department, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, here.

Dr Dogra said finasteride, a drug which is used to treat other ailments, leads to faster growth of hair and has provided a new ray of hope for the bald males. A year-long research was done by Dr Ritika Jindal, a Junior Resident, Dermatology Department, on the issue.

Dr Dogra said though a few doctors had been trying to use this new drug on the Indian population but were apprehensive about its side-effects like sexual dysfunction. “This is the first study of its own kind to confirm that finasteride does not leave any side-effect and gives better sustained results than any other treatment of baldness”, added Dr Dogra. The doctors claim that baldness can be cured by giving 1 mg dose everyday to the patient. The duration of treatment depends upon the gravity of patients’ problem.

Dr S.C. Ahuja, Principal, DMCH, in a press statement said that a set of 30 patients with vertex male pattern hair loss were taken for the study. They were given finasteride in the dose of 1 mg per day for one year. Other 15 patients were taken as control and were given placebo, which contained multi-vitamins. Efficacy of the drug was seen every three months by investigative assessment.

City IMA re-elects Dr Gursharan Singh
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 11
Dr Gursharan Singh of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Ludhiana unit, has been unanimously re-elected president of the local unit of the IMA for the year 2001-2002.

According to a press note, the decision to re-elect him was taken during the general body meeting held on September 9. The general house also authorised Dr Gursharan Singh to appoint other office-bearers for the efficient working of the association.

He was also authorised to bring out necessary changes in the constitution. The IMA members suggested that the IMA house may be converted into a club. The previous office-bearers were asked to hand over the money and the various bank accounts to the present team.

Later, Dr Gursharan Singh appointed Dr Rajesh Sharma, senior anaesthetist and joint secretary in the previous team, as general secretary for the present term. The president while speaking on the occasion, said his priority would be to increase the membership of the IMA. He urged the doctors to shun professional jealousy as that was a big hurdle in the way of the unity among doctors.

SPORTS

Nazma, Dilpreet shuttle to glory
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, September 11
Nazma Parveen and Dilpreet Singh hogged the limelight by winning double crowns in the Ludhiana District Badminton Championship which concluded at the Shastri Hall of Guru Nanak Stadium here this evening.

In the women’s singles final Nazma, a student of Khalsa College, Civil Lines, made a mince meat of her rival Ashwinder Kaur of Punjab Agricultural University 7-0,7-0 and 7-1. Later, Nazma pairing with Balreet Sandhu breezed past Harneet and Mandeep Mangat in an identical fashion to bag the doubles’ title.

In the boys’ singles (u-19) final, Dilpreet Singh faced a little challenge from Ramneek Sharma before clinching the title 7-2, 7-3 and 7-3. Dilpreet and Ramneek Sharma outplayed Raj Kumar and Gurbakash Singh 7-2,7-3,7-3 to wrap up the doubles title.

Results — Boys Singles (u-13)- Semifinal - Rajkumar b Pranav Chopra 7-1, 7-0, 7-4, Gurbaksh Singh b Ashutosh 7-8, 5-7, 7-0, 7-0. Boys Doubles (u-13) Final- Gurbaksh Singh and Rajkumar b Pranav Chopra and Sukhpreet Singh 7-3, 7-3, 5-7, 7-0. Boys Singles (u-16) Final- Ramnik Sharma b Punjab Masih 7-2, 7-4, 7-4. Boys Doubles- Gurbaksh Singh and Rajkumar b Ramnik and Pranav Chopra 7-5, 7-2, 1-7, 7-0. Boys Singles (u-19) Final- Dilpreet Singh b Ramnik Sharma 7-2, 7-3, 7-3. Boys Doubles (u-19) Final- Dilpreet Singh and Ramnik Sharma b Rajkumar and Gurbaksh Singh 7-2, 7-4, 7-3.

Girls Singles-(u-16) Final- Maninder Kaur b Sandeep Kaur 7-3, 8-7, 7-4. Girls Doubles-(u-16) Final- Sandeep and Megha b Shifali and Maninder 7-1, 7-2, 7-3. Girls Doubles (u-19) (Final) - Mandeep Mangat and Sukhpreet b Balreet and Harneet 7-5, 2-7, 2-7, 7-1, 7-1. Womens Singles (Final) - Nazma Parveen b Ashwinder Kaur 7-0, 7-0, 7-1. Women Doubles( Final)- Nazma Parveen and Balreet b Harneet and Mandeep Mangat 7-0, 7-0, 7-1.

Mens Singles (Semifinal) - Sunil Sekhri b Lakhwinder Singh 7-0, 7-5, 6-8, 7-3. Tajinder Singh b Dilpreet Singh 7-8, 7-4, 7-5, 7-4. Mens Doubles( Semifinals)- Harish and Tajinder b Amit and Sanjeev Tony 7-1, 7-4, 7-4. Sunil and Dilpreet b Ranbir and Lakhwinder 7-0, 7-4, 7-4. Veteran Doubles (Final)- MPS Grewal and Kailash Prabhakar b Jai Parkash and Amarjeet Singh 7-4, 7-3, 3-7, 7-5.

Winter games

Trials for Ludhiana District High School’s winter games will be held at zonal office on September 14 for girls and on September 15 for boys at 10 am , according to a press note issued by Mr Parmjeet Singh, general secretary, High Schools Tournament Committee.

The three-day will be conducted from September 20 to 22. The schools have been advised to collect the tournament programme copy from their respective zone conveners.

ADMINISTRATION

State to have 4 new dairy projects
Our Correspondent

Khamano, September 11
Four new dairy development projects, costing Rs 154 crore, are being set up in the state so that dairy farming can be developed as a profitable alternative to agriculture, and challenges posed by WTO can be met.

This was announced by Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala, Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries, Punjab, while addressing a gathering after inaugurating a veterinary dispensary at Panjkoha village, about 18 km from here, yesterday

Giving details of the projects, Dr Ajnala informed that a vaccine production project, estimated to cost Rs 90 crore, was underway in Ludhiana. The land required for this project, which aimed at immunising the livestock against fatal diseases, had already been acquired, he said, adding that a new Livestock Welfare Board had been set up, and a sum of Rs 45 crore was being spent to improve the breed of livestock.

The minister disclosed that a joint project with Israel had been launched in the state, and it would bring about a revolution in cattle breeding. He added that a regional veterinary laboratory, costing Rs 19 crore, was also being set up in Jalandhar, which would cater to the needs of Punjab and Haryana.

The minister claimed that all 2,800 veterinary institutions had been made functional, and the required infrastructure had been provided to them. He added that 300 more veterinary doctors were being appointed to ensure the presence of staff in every veterinary hospital.

Addressing the gathering, Ms Satwant Kaur Sandhu, Printing and Stationery Minister, said the SAD-BJP government had spent more than Rs 300 crore in the past four years for the implementation of various welfare schemes for Scheduled Castes and poor people.