The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

EDUCATION

Orientation programme for teachers
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 1
To replenish the knowledge of its staff, the management of SDP College for Women organised an orientation programme here today.

Addressing the teachers, Brig N.K. Dhir, Director, Defence Institute of Quality Assurance, Bangalore, said it was important for the teachers to adapt themselves to the growing need to prepare students for facing fresh challenges.

Elaborating the need to bring about holistic development in students, Ms S. Verma, Principal of the host college, said teachers were responsible for physical fitness, mental growth, inculcating moral values and growth of ideas among their students. She emphasised that the teachers should develop their knowledge constantly or else education would become redundant. She said the institution was not just aimed at giving degrees to the students but to impart vocational training to make them self-reliant.

Mr R. Khurana, Principal, SDP Senior Secondary School, said heavy curriculum, lack of extra curricular activities, social obligations and lack of vocational and technical training were the major hindrances for improving the education system. He said teachers were responsible for shaping the character of students and bringing changes in society.

Ms Parkash Verma, a lecturer in the Department of English, spoke on ways to improve the standard of education. She said imparting education did not simply imply classroom teaching of the prescribed syllabi, but it also aimed at improving physical ability, character and personality of students. She said it was important for the teachers to make learning interesting by innovative means.

Sahir Memorial Inter-college Cultural Fest begins
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 1
Contests in folk-singing and extempore marked the opening of the two-day Sahir Memorial Inter-College Cultural Festival at SCD Government College here today.

Students from 11 college participated in the contests. In folk-singing competition, Prabhjot from Gujranwala Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology (GGNIMT) sang ‘Damadam mast kalandar’. Lalita from Devki Devi Jain College of Education sang ‘Jogi ulta paharawa’.

In extempore contest, Aabha and Vibha from Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology (GNIMT) and Navritu from Guru Nanak Girls’ College spoke on various topics.

Prof Arjun Singh, ghazal singer, Prof Jasbir Makkar, music teacher at the host college, and Ms Harinder Hundal, music teacher at Khalsa College for Women, were the judges for the folk-singing contest. Prof I.P Setia and Prof Kanjla, both lecturers of English, and Prof Pardesi, lecturer of Punjabi, were the judges for the extempore competition.

On the occasion, Mr S.K. Sandhu, Deputy Commissioner, inaugurated the newly-renovated Sahir Auditorium. The postgraduate students of the college presented a Malwai gidha. Dr P.S. Sohi coordinated the function and said the contests for poetic recital, histrionics and debate would be held in the college tomorrow.

HEALTH

City blood banks unable to provide blood
Shortage of blood-test kits to blame
Kamal Kishore Shankar

Ludhiana, February 1
During the past one month needy persons, who visited the Red Cross Blood Bank, had to return home disappointed as they did not get even a single unit of blood for their dear ones who were struggling for life. Despite having good stock, the Red Cross staff could not give a single unit to anyone as the stock was being tested.

Before distributing the blood, it has to go through various tests like HIV, HBSAG, HCV, VDRL and malaria so as clean and uninfected blood is given to the patients. The most important test is HIV which is done to prevent the deadly AIDS. But to the dismay of poor persons, the Red cross and Civil Hospital blood banks could not properlycater to the needs of patients who needed blood urgently for the past many months.

The main reason for non-availability of blood was shortage of blood-testing kits in the Civil Hospital where the Red cross Blood Bank sends all its stock for testing and before finally approving it for the use. These kits are sanctioned and supplied to all Civil Hospitals from the AIDS Control Society, Chandigarh, which work in co-ordination with the Directorate, Punjab Health Services.

Sources said, “the supply of these kits has been a common practice for the past few months. Especially during this month not a single kit was provided to Civil Hospital.” The sources disclosed, “In a meeting of all Blood Transfusion Officers, held on January 22 at Chandigarh, they were assured of a good supply of the kits in time, but not a single kit was supplied till date.”

A kit which costs around Rs 6000 to Rs 7,000 depending upon the different brands, could be used for testing about 170 units of blood comfortably. But the kits were not easily available in the market. Only on special orders, such materials could be purchased. A wholesaller of surgical equipment in Pindi Street, said that they sold the kits on special orders.

The Civil Hospital Blood Bank always had 10 to 20 units in stock as they provided blood to those patients for whom someone had already donated blood. Due to very short stock of blood, the test kit meant ‘life’ for patients who could not afford the DMC and CMC hospital who have ample facilities to save anybody’s life. But due to in adequate supply of the kits, many patients were not getting blood from here.

Various donors had donated 135 units this month till date, but despite many requests, the blood could not be tested. At last the Red Cross Society, realising the problem, today purchased a 192-test kit and gave it to the Civil Hospital, so that the backlog of blood to be tested could be cleared soon. Till the filing of this report, the officials claimed that 85 units were tested and ready for use. But the many hopeful people were still waiting near the Red Cross building. They might get blood late in the evening or tomorrow, but who knows that how many patients would survive till then.

Mental ailments: counselling, not drugs, is the answer
Asha Ahuja

AMISHA, wife of a successful corporate officer, mother of two college-going children, with a lovely house, an expensive car, presented a picture of happiness and bliss to the outside world. Rather she was the envy of other ladies due to her smooth complexion, husband’s seven-figure income, but no one knew the emptiness in the heart of Amisha. She was depressed, felt empty inside, had a feeling of worthlessness. Everyone had goals, aspirations in her family. Only she had none. She felt neglected as her husband was busy climbing the ladder of success, the sons had their careers to look forward to. What had she to look forward to? Nothing.

Mercifully, Ashok, her husband, noticed her wane looks, her flat responses and talked to her. Bottled up for a long time, she burst out. Ashok took her to a clinical psychologist. After a few sessions, the doctor tackled her problem of worthlessness by suggesting her to get associated with some NGO. She joined the Spastic Society and Amisha is a much happier person today.

Due to hassles of work, personal problems both at workplace and at home, insecurities, overwhelming sense of inadequacy, losing grasp of reality are some of the common problems that at times push people to the brink of despair, where taking one’s life seems to be a very good option.

Seeking professional help is seen as a sign of weakness. Exploring of one’s feelings and finding where the problem lies is a sign of courage. According to Dr Krishnanand, a clinical psychologist, Head of Department, Christian Medical College and Hospital, says that mental ailments are just like physical ailments. The society has attached stigma to the people who suffer from some mental health problems. He said: “In my perception, body and mind are one entity. By hiding mental problems, the individual is not helping its body. With stressful situations, the mind goes down. People have misconceptions about mental illnesses. Almost all mental ailments are curable. Some of them are psychosomatic, or neurotic or affective in nature to fullblown psychotic and the most dangerous can be ‘schizophrenic’. In this mental disorder the patient suffers from delusion, loses contact with life and loses contact between what he sees and feels.”

He says just like one comes for the treatment of physical ailments, the persons with any problems related with stress should seek medical treatment. With education, the stigma attached to mental disorders is melting but not at the rate it should be.

The personality disorders occur due to mental stress, personal trauma, break-up of a marriage, loss of some dear one, and marital conflict. The problems can arise at work place. Stress due to intrapersonal relations in the office, problems of adjustment with the boss and jealousy can spark a host of mental problems and can lead to one of the greatest maladies of modern times — depression.

Dr Krisnanand says there is solution to every mental problem. A person can be fully cured of it and can lead a perfectly normal life. Most of the people can cope with the stress who have a good external support system like a good supportive family, and a group of friends can cope with stress. They also derive a lot of strength from religion. The people who fall prey to stress lack external support, have negative attitudes and go into depression. Doctors treat them for depression but do not remove the causes that have caused depression. With the result that over a period of years, the patient may have swallowed hundreds of pills of anti- depression medicines.

These days even students go under depression due to great stress they are placed under. Every school needs a councillor to help students in selecting their career and help solving problems related to academics.

One needs to address oneself with — Do I need a help? No one can answer these questions better than you. The stress symptoms are increasing in cases of liquor consumption, increased conflict at work and increased abstinence from work place. One shows low tolerance, irritation, feeling of anxiety, sleeplessness and changes in eating patterns. One needs to see the psychologist without any hesitation. If there is no shame in getting body treated, then why the disorders of mind which govern the body should have stigma connected to it.