HEALTH

Wrong dietary habits lead to rise in colon cancer cases
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 3
“Colon cancer is on the rise in Punjab due to wrong dietary habits. People have switched their dietary habits and have started eating more meat, turned to fast food like burgers, pizzas etc that give calories but no fibre and have reduced the intake of vegetables and fruits, which provide essential fibre to the body. This was the view of Dr John Rennie from the King’s Hospital and Medical College, London. He is on his eighth trip to Christian Medical College and Hospital.

Dr John has specialised in key-hole surgery and visits the CMC to demonstrate the latest procedures in key-hole surgery to both surgeons and students. Talking to Ludhiana Tribune, Dr John said, “In the U.K. colon cancer is most prevalent as the diet of people lacks fibre. It is paradoxical that colon cancer is the disease of both the poor and the rich. To avoid this type of cancer, one must include five portions of different fruits in daily diet. The fruits can be banana, orange, guava etc. The poor people cannot afford to eat fruit so they eat fried food, which can give a feeling of fullness but provide no fibre. Hence they become victims of colon cancer. The rich too have turned to eating more fatty food and are prone to colon cancer. Only through education we can make people understand that too much meat and fatty food are bad, and can lead to colon cancer.

He said that key-hole surgery has become a multi- disciplinary speciality for the West and the concept is coming to India. Key-hole surgery can be used on the removal of gall bladder, operations on spleen, uterus, stomach, kidneys and lungs. This surgery is being preferred by patients as they have to stay for lesser time in hospital and suffer less pain. Cosmetically also there are less scars on the body and less complications post-operation and hence less medication. The cost works out to be at par with normal surgery in the long run.

There has always been need of high-tech surgery and key-hole surgery has filled the need. But Dr John said that doctors have to be trained very well as coordination among eyes, hands and feet is a must.

Dr Navneet Choudhry, Prof and Head of Surgery, and Associate Prof Dr Simon have been performing key-hole surgeries for over a decade. Dr Navneet said,” CMC&H was the first medical institute to start laparoscopy in North India. We have been chosen by the Punjab System Health Corporation to train government doctors in laparoscopy. Every month we train three doctors. So far we have trained 40 doctors. The government wanted the doctors to be trained before they buy the equipment as it costs Rs 15 lakh. Already in some hospitals trained doctors are performing key-hole surgeries.”

CME-2002 and Frank Prior Oration organised
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 3
The CME (continuous medical education)-2002 and Frank Prior Oration hosted by the Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care under the auspices of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (Faridkot) was held today at ‘Christian Medical College, Ludhiana. Dr J.S. Gujral, Vice-Chancellor of Baba Farid University, was the chief guest.

Speaking on the occasion, he said, “The present era can truly be called an information era. New discoveries become known the world over in no time. The effects of this information explosion have been enormous. New knowledge becomes obsolete too fast. In fact, the half-life of new knowledge is not more than two to three years. Medical teachers have an important role to play in the whole process. It is they, who are seen as role models by the students. Only an enlightened teacher can inspire and guide his students to become life long learners. The paradigm of LLL (life long learning) is the key to effectiveness of medicare.

“In addition to subject specific CMEs we also plan to conduct training workshops for teachers in teaching methodology and research methodologies. The faculties for this are being identified,” he said.

Dr J.W. Durekson, Kansas, USA, paid homage to Dr Frank Prior, former Professor and head of the Department of Anaesthesiology, Ludhiana Christian Medical College. He said the senior staff should recognise the potential of the new discipline and anaesthetist should have the patience to work toward providing services of which he or she was capable of. Building mutual respect among the hospital staff was mandatory for achieving the goal of excellent care. Many of the newer procedures, such as laparoscopy, required general anaesthesia and the use of muscle relaxants. Other procedures could be performed under peripheral blocks, he said.

Intra-operative management must continue into post-operative period, beginning with the transfer of the patient to the recovery room or ICU by the anaesthetist where all the pertinent data must be conveyed to the receiving nurse or doctor, he said.

A ray of hope for needy
Shivani Bhakoo

Ludhiana, March 3
When eight-year-old Sunil suffered renal failure, fate was unkind to him and his family’s woes were compounded due to its unability to bear the expenditure required for regular dialyses and expensive medicines needed for his treatment.

Sunil's father who had a small tailoring shop, found himself helpless till someone suggested that the family should seek help from the Association for Social Health in India (ASHI), which besides giving moral support, provided financial assistance by generating funds through voluntary contributions.

‘‘After assessing the case, a fixed-deposit has been made in the name of the child's parents that will provide sufficient monthly financial assistance so that the child can get the treatment easily’’, Ms Pappo Abnash Singh, an active member of ASHI, told Ludhiana Tribune here today.

ASHI, a chapter of the District Red Cross, is an organisation working in the aid of destitute women and children. The organisation with Deputy Commissioner's wife as the president helps in settling the marital disputes, resolving other family disputes, assisting widows in bringing up their children and providing possible financial assistance to needy women.

ASHI started functioning in 1984 with Ms Manju Lakhanpal, the wife of then Deputy Commissioner, Mr K.R. Lakhanpal, as its first president. ‘‘This organisation started settling cases in the Red Cross building itself. Slowly, more cases of different nature started coming to the organisation and by the grace of God and help by the district administration, on an average seven to eight cases are settled every month’’, said Ms Singh, also an active member of the organisation. Dr Parveen Narang, another member of ASHI, said The organisation tried to settle as many cases as it could. She said, ‘‘Most of the cases are regarding complaints by women against demand for dowry, husband-wife conflict and conflict with in-laws. There are other cases where drug-addict husbands beat their wives. We advise the women to be more tolerant and speak less so that there are lesser fights till they are financially independent’’. ASHI's other active members, include Ms Ruby Fernandes, Ms Sarbarinder Kaur Grewal, Ms Avtar Kaur and Ms Purnima Attarya.

Ms Pappo Abnash Singh said the girls or their parents going through such problems generally avoid seeking the organisation’s help because of social repurcussions.‘‘I can assure all such parents that utmost secrecy is maintained in this regard by the organisation.’’ 

Selling herbs without quality control
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, March 3
Ayurvedic medicines can be divided into two groups ‘folk medicines’ and medicines prescribed by practitioners. Folk medicines medicines have been used for centuries and are passed from generation to generation by word of mouth e.g. for common cold, cough, aches etc. like cloves, ajwain, mulathi, banafsha, jeera and hing. The other type of medicines are those prescribed by qualified practitioners. Mainly there are 400 to 500 commonly used herbs. Out of these, 100 can be shortlisted as being used most frequent. Wholesalers of these herbs operate in large cities like Delhi, Amritsar, Calcutta, Mumbai and Chennai.

Dr Sanjeeev Sood, Head of Dept Panch Karma, Dayanand Medical College, Jalandhar says, “We, the Ayurvedic practitioners are not very happy with the way the herbs are being sold in big jute sacks and placed haphazardly in ‘pansari shops’. Cleanliness is sorely missing while storing the herbs. All the dried up herbs appear to be same.”

Dr Vatsyayna, an Ayurvedic practitioner, feels that pansaris should be given short courses on the usage and preservation of medicines. There should be a government body to control their purity. 

Cricket meet from March 10
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, March 3
The ninth Shrimati Veera Devi Memorial Cricket Tournament would be held here at the SDP College for Women ground from March 10, stated a press note issued today by Mr Baisakhi Ram, general secretary of the tournament committee.

In this knockout tournament matches would be played on Sundays and interested teams might send their entries to Mr Baisakhi Ram by March 5, the note said.

Football meet: Top soccer outfits of the region will take part in the 6th All-Open Football Tournament to be organised by the Industrial Football Club, Ludhiana, here at the ITI grounds on March 8, 9 and 10, according to Dr Jagjit Singh, president of the club.

The club will honour prominent football players, Joginder Bhayia and Pritam Singh Pakhowal, on the concluding day of this tournament. An exhibition football match for girls will be held on March 10. Mr S.C. Madkan, Principal, ITI, will inaugurate this tournament on March 8 at 9 am.