HEALTH

Helping the spastic children
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 21
When three couples found that their children were suffering from cerebral palsy, a disease in which an individual’s movements become jerky and uncontrolled because of brain damage before or at birth, they were horrified. Cerebral palsy can limit the entire movement of the body or cause the muscles to move in an uncoordinated manner. At that time there was no institution for training such children to help coordinate their body movements and to educate them.

Then the desperate parents decided to do something for cerebral palsy and spastic children. They thought of starting an institution where such children could be given proper training to live a normal life. Started with three children five years ago, Ashirwad has a strength of 98 children today. The parents of the children were thrilled when they saw their children perform at a cultural function recently.

Ashirwad is a charitable and registered organisation running a centre for rehabilitation of spastic children and is being professionally and scientifically managed with the help of donations. The donations to the organisation are exempted from income tax.

For cerebral palsy, ‘management’ is a more appropriate word than ‘treatment’. Management should start as early as possible in order to help everyone achieve maximum potential in growth and development. In Ashiward, the parents are taught management of spastic children and well managed cases can even go to school, get jobs and live independently.

Management programmes include attention to child’s rehabilitation, movement, learning, communication, self help and social development. Adults with cerebral palsy require support services such as personal assistance, continuing therapy, educational and vocational training, residential supports, counselling, specialised transport and recreational employment.

Ashirwad offers major programmes like early intervention for infants and toddlers with disabilities, special education services, adult day programmes, home service programmes and speech-language therapy. In these programmes physicians, paediatricians, neurologists, therapists, educationist, nurses, social workers and other professionals assist the child as well as the family.

Cerebral palsy affected children normally have muscle spasm or tightness, involuntary movements, disturbance in gait and mobility, visual, hearing or speech impairments, epilepsy or some degree of learning disability. 

Doctor with a mission
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 21
Every one lives for oneself. It is only when one lives for others, he is truly living a life as it is meant to live. Dr. Arun Mitra is one such person. By profession, he is a doctor. In his spare time, he champions the cause of crucial issues like disarmament of nuclear weapons, protection of environment and child labour.

Dr Mitra feels that he is morally committed to participate in improving the quality of life. Nine years ago a group of like-minded people wanted to improve the environment and formed Bharat Jan Gyan Vigyan Jatha. Their aim was to make the public aware of the importance of environment protection. To achieve this, they organise talks, seminars, and plays to spread the message. They have encompassed school children in their field also. Eco clubs have been formed by the students who undertake plantation of saplings. Children besides planting ornamental plants, plant medicinal trees like neem, Arjun. They have a ‘ Kala Jatha’ that is associated with Indian People’s Theatre which helps them to organise plays on environmental themes and on importance of literacy.

The municipal authorities cannot do everything without the help of people. Dr Arun Mitra says,” If every household collect garbage in two separate bags, one with biodegradable and other for non- biodegradable waste, the disposal of garbage would be much easier.

He is also working for peace and nuclear disarmament. The doctors have formed a association called Indian Physicians against Nuclear War. At this time, the issue is very relevant as the USA is all set to wage a war. The association hold seminars against nuclear disarmament. Their association is a body of an international organisation which has its branches in 86 countries. According to him, there are 30,000 nuclear war heads, a large number of mini nukes which can wipe away a large part of life on the planet. Dr Mitra arranges seminars, conferences to educate people against the horrendous effects of nuclear war. He says, “Large number of people can influence the policies of government and we do hope Indian Government will spend more money on primary education, health and medication of its citizens.”

Dr Mitra is all for elimination of child labour. It is a tragedy that six crore children are employed as labour when they should have been studying, playing and enjoying their childhood. He says, “Society has to be educated so that they understand the importance of family planning.

270 donate blood
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 21
The NSS volunteers of Arya College and the Devki Devi Memorial Jain College for Women organised blood donation camps on their campuses here today.

Nearly 200 volunteers donated blood at Arya College which was collected by the Ludhiana Red Cross Society. Mr I.S. Saluja, NSS Programme Officer, said that the camp was held in association with the Inner Wheel and Rotary International Clubs.

At DD Jain College, nearly 70 students donated blood for a unit of thalessemic children headed by Dr Parveen Sobti of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital. The camp was inaugurated by Mr Narinder Kumar Jain, president of the college managing committee. Dr Rekha Sharma, principal, appreciated the efforts of the volunteers.

DMC to organise lecture on health
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 21
To create health awareness among the masses, the health education cell of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital will organise the 28th public health lecture on “Strategies to prevent onslaught of coronary heart disease in India” at Dumra Auditorium tomorrow.

Dr S.C. Ahuja, Principal, DMCH, in a press statement yesterday said that the lecture would be delivered by Dr G.S.Sainani, consultant cardiologist and physician, Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai.

Dr Rajoo Singh Chinna, convener of the health education cell said, “The topic of the lecture has specially been chosen keeping in view the increasing incidence of heart diseases due to increasing stress, lack of exercise, bad food habits and fast pace of modern life.” 

Awareness rally
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 21
A public awareness rally against dengue fever and malaria was organised by the Health Department which was flagged off by Dr Neelam Bassi, Family Welfare Officer, Ludhiana.

According to a press release, the rally passed through Dandi Swami Chowk, Old Dayanand Hospital, Haibowal Khurd, Joshi Nagar, Upkar Nagar, Prem Nagar, Kundanpuri, Guru Nanak Pura, Salem Tabri, Chand Cinema, Basti Jodhewal, Shivpuri, Madhopuri, New Kundan Puri and Daresi Ground area.

SDM on drug addiction
Our Correspondent

Doraha, September 21
Mr Jaskaran Singh, SDM, Payal, said that the area would be made free from the menace of drug addiction. Addressing a rural gathering here, the SDM said that drug awareness camps would soon be organised in collaboration with the NGOs. “As people, especially the youngsters, are falling an easy prey to this evil, they should be made aware of the ill effects of drugs,” he said.

SPORTS

TT titles for Sahil, Nirdosh
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, September 21
Sahil fought it tooth and nail to outclass Simarpreet Singh and Nirdosh Sood prevailed over Garhima to clinch title in the cadet boys and girls sections, respectively, on the second day of the Ludhiana District Table Tennis Championship at the Shastri Hall of Guru Nanak Stadium here today.

The boys final proved to be an absorbing affair with Sahil of Green Land Senior Secondary School wrapping up the game 11-8 but going down fight at 8-11 in the second set. The third game was a ding-dong battle with both Sahil and Simarpreet Singh of Sargodha National Senior Secondary School fighting for each point and eventually Sahil clinching 11-9. In the decider, Simarpreet Singh gave some anxious moments to Sahil but failed to rattle him. The fourth set went 11-8 in favour of Sahil.

In the girls section, Nirdosh Sood, a student of Bhartiya Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School, after some initial hic-ups managed to overpower Garhima 11-8, 11-7 and 11-6 to bag the title. In the women’s final, Deepshikha scrapped past Priyanka 11-9, 11-9 and 12-10 to lift the title.

Second day’s results: Cadet boys singles (final) Sahil b Simarpreet Singh 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8; cadet girls singles (final) Nirdosh Sood b Garhima 11-8, 117, 11-6; sub-junior boys (semi-final) Sahil b Dharminder 11-8, 11-7, 11-9; and Sun- Ming b Simarpreet Singh 11-8, 11-9, 11-6; junior boys (quarterfinal) Atul b Pyush 11-9, 11-8, 10-12, 9-11,11-9, Sahil b Anil 11-6, 11-7, 8-11,11-9, Karan b Jaideep 11-8, 11-7, 11-5 and Sun- Ming b Sushant 11-6, 11-8, 11-7; women s singles (final) Deepshikha b Priyanka 11-9, 11-9, 12-10.

Men's singles (pre-quarterfinal ) Disney b Sahi 11-7, 11-8, 11-6; Harminder Chopra b Pyush 11-5, 11-6, 11-4; Harman b Simarpreet Singh 11-6, 11-5, 11-7; Bikram b Anil Sharma 11-6, 11-6, 11-4; Vijay Yadav b Sun-Ming 12-10, 8-11, 11-8, 11-6; Roobal b Jaideep 11-8, 11-7, 11-5; Jasneet Singh b Dharminder 11-5, 11-4, 11-3; and Karan b Atul 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 12-10.

ADMINISTRATION

MC staff remove encroachments
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 21
The enforcement staff of the Municipal Corporation today demolished a boundary wall being raised by unscrupulous persons around a two-acre piece of land belonging to the civic body in the Dhandari Kalan area and directed immediate stoppage of work for construction of nine shops on the main road between Dhandari Kalan and the G.T. Road as no building plans had been got sanctioned.

Giving details, Mr Raminder Singh, Additional Commissioner, said that an MC team led by Zonal Commissioner B.K. Gupta was sent to the site on the basis of an anonymous complaint. Those raising construction of shops were directed to get the building plans approved and work for laying foundations was also ordered to be stopped.

The MC team had also inspected three industrial units in the area where construction work was in progress.