HEALTH

Post-menopausal problems discussed 
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 28
A seminar on menopausal syndrome was organised by the Government Medical College, Patiala Alumni Associations Chandigarh Chapter at the Rock garden here yesterday.

Experts from various fields of medicine discussed post-menopausal problems with the audience and discussed various treatments. Dr B.S. Chavan, Head, Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, talked about the psychological problems and their management, while Dr Raj Bahadur, Professor, Department of Orthopaedics and Medical Superintendent, GMCH-32, spoke on the prevention and management of osteoporosis, a common problem among women in the post-menopausal stage.

Dr B.D. Gupta talked about the prevention and management of heart diseases among older women. Dr Indu Gupta, Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, PGI, talked about hormone replacement therapy, (HRT).

Dr S.K. Prabhakar, Head, Department of Neurology, PGI, Prof R.J. Dash, Head Department of Endocrinology, PGI, Dr Atul Sachdeva, and Dr S.K. Singh and Dr Roma Pandhi talked about various other aspects of the problem.

Dr Rameshwar Chander, Director, Health Services, UT, also launched the menopausalhelpline@gomcochandigarh.com web site on the occasion. He was also chosen as the new president of the association. He was installed by Dr R.S. Sandhu, DHS, Punjab, the founder president of the association. Dr R. Kumar, chairman, organising committee, proposed a vote of thanks.

Civil Hospital nearly complete
Kulwinder Sangha

SAS Nagar, January 28
The building of the extension block of the Civil Hospital here is nearing completion and is to be handed over to the hospital authorities by February 15.

About 3,000 square metre area is to be added to the present structure and the cost of the project, which has been cleared by the World Bank, is Rs 2 crore. The foundation stone of the extension block was laid in March last year by the Ropar Civil Surgeon, Dr Rajinder Singh Saggu.

The 50-bed hospital will be upgraded to 100 beds once the building is handed over and would be equipped with modern facilities. Apart from a proper emergency ward the building will also have gynaecology and diagnostic departments and operating theatres. So far the Civil Hospital has been functioning in what was to be the OPD block under the initial building plan of the hospital.

A complete emergency wing will be set up in the new building. It will have two wards with six beds in each ward. This wing will have a minor operation theatre, a plaster room, an examination room apart from having doctors and nurses duty rooms. At present the emergency wing is being run in a small room with an area of about 12 ft by 18 ft and has only two beds.

The hospital will also have full-fledged laboratory services. Biochemistry, pathology and microbiology laboratories will be set up. A sample collection centre has also been designed. At present the laboratory is functioning in an area comprising one and a half room.

Radiology services will also be upgraded. At present a 300 MA x-ray machine is functioning in the hospital. A new 500 MA x-ray machine will be installed in the new diagnostic complex.

The extension block will have four major operating theatres with modern architectural facilities. Two of these will be on the ground floor and two in the first floor with proper autoclaving, doctors’ and nurses’ change-room and a separate delivery room for infected cases.

There will be five general wards and one special ward with a proper nursing station on the first floor. A 30 KVA generator set will be installed in the new building. At present the hospital has a 5 KVA generator-set.

However, doctors and other members of the staff of the hospital say that with the mere extension of the hospital building, it will not be able to meet the high expectations of patients until additional staff is sanctioned.

Dr S.P. Singla, SMO and in charge of the hospital, said today that more staff would be needed after taking over the extension block. More doctors would be needed to handle emergency cases. Additional nurses, laboratory staff and class IV employees would also be required.

However, the hospital will have to depend on the PGI, General Hospital, Sector 16, and Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh, for blood as no blood bank is being set up here.

Dr Singla said the hospital would make arrangements for blood storage as at present it was not clear whether the hospital would have a blood bank or not. Blood testing machines were very costly and the hospital did not have enough manpower.

Dr A.K. Khullar, Deputy Medical Commissioner, Ropar, said that setting up of a blood bank was a very big project. Moreover, very strict guidelines had been marked as the Supreme Court had pointed out that proper blood-testing was not being done by blood banks.

‘Organise’ health fairs in villages
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, January 28
The Haryana Minister of State for Health, Dr M.L. Ranga, today asked the health officials to organise health fairs in a big village in their district every month to acquaint people with the various health services being provided by the Health Department.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the state TB Association at Panchkula, the minister asked them to send the report of such health fairs to the state headquarters. He said people should be apprised of free medicines being provided to tuberculosis (TB) patients. Information to this effect should be got printed at hoardings to be erected at public places like railway stations, big clinics and bus stands. he said special camp should be organised to treat patients suffering from TB.

he asked the chief medical officers to identify those officials who had been providing extraordinary services to society so that they might be suitably rewarded. He said the damaged equipment like x-ray machines should be got repaired within one week.

The Director-General, health Services, Dr J.L. Chaudhary, who is also the chairman, Haryana TB Association, said complete treatment for tuberculosis was available. 

89 operated upon at camp
Our Correspondent

Zirakpur, January 28
Eightynine eye operations were performed at a free operation camp organised by the Project Ophthalcare Society of SAS Nagar at Shri Gurdwara Nabha Sahib in Nabha village on the Zirakpur-Patiala highway, 2 km from here, on Sunday.

The president of the society, Dr J.P. Singh, informed that more than 500 patients were examined at the camp. It was inaugurated by Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance and Planing Minister of Punjab.

Of the total patients, 89 were found fit for operations.

Doctors donate blood
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 28
More than 175 doctors and members of their family members donated blood at the third annual blood donation camp organised by the National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA), UT branch, in collaboration with the Rajasthan Parishad.

Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal, MP, was the chief guest. 

Gurnoor shines in cycling meet
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, January 28
Gurnoor Kang of Chandigarh stole the limelight in the second National Mountain Bike Championships, which concluded last evening near Kaimbwala village here.

Mr Ram S. Verma, IAS, former Chief Secretary, Haryana, gave away the prizes to the winners.

Senior officials of various sponsors like NFL, KRIBHCO, and IFFCO also presented medals to winners and appreciated efforts of the organisers and Mr Rakesh Mohindra, secretary of the Chandigarh Amateur Cycling Association.

Hero Cycles Limited presented mountain bikes to the gold medal winners.

Results (finals)

Massed start race (open): Sarbjit Singh (Haryana) 1, Amandeep Singh (BSF) 2, and Narinder Singh (Haryana) 3.

Women: 4 lap cross country race (massed start): R. Sandhya (Kerala) 1, Sheethal VS (Kerala) 2, Davinder Kaur (Haryana) 3.

Men: 8 lap cross country race (massed start): Mohan Singh (Haryana) 1, Gurmeet Singh (Punjab) 2, Sarbjit Singh (Haryana), Lap Cross Country 3.

One lap point-to-point time trial race (men): Gurmeet Singh (Punjab) 1, Parmod Singh (Chandigarh) 2, Prem Chand Singh (MNP) 3.

One lap point time trial race: Gurnoor Kaur Kang (Chandigarh) 1, Nishchal Deep Kaur, (Chandigarh) 2, Ashi (Chandigarh) 3.

One lap of point-to-point time trial (boys, 16 yrs): Amandeep Singh (Punjab) 1, Gaganbir Singh (Chandigarh) 2, Rajesh Kumar (Haryana) 3.

One lap point-to-point time trial race (women): Gurnoor Kaur Kang (Chandigarh) 1, Sandhya R (Kerala) 2, Sheethal (Kerala) 3.

One lap point-to-point time trial race (girls 16 yrs): Gurnoor Kaur Kang (Chandigarh) 1, Nehchal Deep Kaur (Chandigarh) 2, Ashi (Chandigarh) 3.

One lap point-to-point time trial race: Narinderjit Singh (Punjab) 1, Afilash Mohanan (Kerala) 2, Akashdeep Singh Dhillon (Chandigarh) 3. 

Veena, Manoj emerge winners
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, January 28
Veena Yadav of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 20, in the girls section and Manoj of Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, in the boys section emerged winners in under-19 section of the UT inter-school athletic meet here today.

Various winners are: under-19 (shot put) — Harinder Singh; 1500 metres — Nasir; 400 metres — Sunil Kumar; long jump — Sandeep; under-17 (boys): 1500 metres — Rajesh; 400 metres — Manoj; long jump — Sidhharth; shotput — Sanjay; 4x100 relay — DAVSSS-8; under-14 (boys) long jump — Tajinder Singh; 400 metres — Suraj; shot put — Surinder; 4x100 relay — GSSS, Karsan.

In the girls section, (under-19): 400 metres — Veena Yadav; shotput — Sakshi; long jump — Shalani; 4x 100 relay — GMSSS-20; (under-17): 400 metres — Amandeep Kaur; long jump — Demango; shotput — D. Ashwani; 4x100 relay —Sharda Sarvhitkari; under14: long jump — Ramandeep; shotput — Ganemat; 400 metres — Jasbir Kaur; 4x100 relay — GMSSS-37.

Kabaddi meet

Government High School, Kajheri, defeated Government High school, Sector 40, 78-45 with half-time score of 36-30 in the UT inter-school kabaddi meet organised by the UT Sports Department here today. In another boys match, Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 38 (West), beat Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 37, 39-20 with half-time score of 21-13.

In girls section, Government Senior Secondary School, Dhanas, lost to Government High School, Sector 40, 16-38. Earlier, Mr Gyanesh Bharti, SDM South, UT, inaugurated the meet.

GCG-11 win

Government College for Girls, Sector 11, scored an outright 5-0 victory over Sant Darbara Singh College for Women, Lopon (Punjab), in the Panjab University Inter-College Zonal Hockey Tournament for women played here today at the Panjab University grounds. Sunila Sharma scored four goals while Karamjit scored one goal.

In another tie, Government College for Women, Ludhiana, beat Khalsa College for Women, Sidhwan Khurd, 1-0.

PDYA officer-bearers

PATIALA
Mr Jasbir Singh Bir, Deputy Commissioner, has been unanimously elected president of the Patiala District Yoga Association. Other office-bearers are: Adviser — Mr G.S. Anand; senior vice-president — Mr Rahul Gupta; vice-presidents — Mr Vir Devinder Singh and Capt H.S. Mokha; secretary — Mr Chander Kant Mishra; joint secretaries — Ms Indira Bali and Mrs Yogita Sharma; secretary finance and press — Mr Munish Kaushal; coordinator — Mr Parmod Kumar. 

EVM demo on Feb 13
Tribune News Service

Kharar (Ropar), January 28
On the directions of the Election Commission, the office of the Returning Officer for the Kharar assembly segment will hold a public demonstration of the electronic voting machine (EVM) to be used for the first time for polling in the assembly segment on February 13. A total of 10 EVMs have been given for public demonstration at the earmarked polling booths.

The Returning Officer, Mr Jaipal Singh, said a total of 205 EVMs would be used on the polling days at 205 booths. After being inspected by a team led by the Assistant Returning Officer, the EVMs at the office of the District Election Office, Ropar, had been sealed. He said around 800 employees had been deputed for election duty. The first and the second rehearsal for the election staff would be held in front of the SDM office on January 30 and February 5.

Advanced course in investigation
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 28
Two personnel of the Chandigarh police, SI Jaswinder Singh and ASI Amanjot Singh, have bagged the first and second positions, respectively, in the 71st advanced course in scientific investigation conducted by the Central Detective Training School here.

A statement issued today said that 29 police officials attended the three-month course held from October 29, 2001, to January 25. Both the officials have been awarded the “scientific investigation kits” by the school which is controlled by the Bureau of Police Research and Development. The course members were also given extensive practical as well as theoretical training on computers.

Sandhu is new DHS
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 28
Dr D.P.S. Sandhu, Director, ESI, has taken over as the new Director, Health Services, Family Welfare, Punjab. Similarly, Dr G.L. Goyal has taken over as Director, Health Services, ESI.