HEALTH

Awareness can prevent disability: experts
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 12
A three-day workshop on “Disability: Prevention and rehabilitation” began at Government Medical College and hospital, Sector 32, here today.

Organised by the State Implementation Committee, the workshop is being attended by 20 medical officers serving in Chandigarh. Member Secretary, State Implementation Committee, Dr Raj Bahadur, said the programme was assigned to UT in 2001 while it began in 1999 in the rest of the country.

In the first lecture of the academic session, Dr Raj Bahadur, dwelling on the subject of “Disability process and its magnitude”, highlighted that although exact statistics of disabled were not known in Chandigarh, the data collected through regular disability detection camps organised by the State Resource Centre was being critically analysed.

He added that the knowledge of exact statistics of various disabilities was important to plan facilities and services for them. He said it was the responsibility of the state government to provide social, educational and vocational assistance to the disabled to make them economically independent.

Prof Arjun Das, Head of Department, ENT, talked on the various causes of hearing loss and stated that most of these could be prevented with simple measures like awareness about noise pollution, avoiding giving certain drugs to pregnant mothers, early diagnosis of ear problems and appropriate treatment.

Dr Nitin Nagarkar of the same department stressed the need for screening the population of the hearing impairment. He also dwelled upon the principles of assessment of hearing and speech impairment. Mr Ravi Kapoor talked of the effect of hearing loss on the development of personality of the disabled.

Prof M.R. Dogra from the Department of Ophthalmology, PGIMER, gave an overview of visual impairments, their magnitude and the role of National Programme for Control of Blindness.

He said with modern techniques many causes of blindness could be treated if detected in time and that organisation of eye camps was essential for detecting various ailments. Dr S. Arya from GMCH, talked about the principles of assessment of visual disability and dwelled upon early identification and visual ailments in preventing permanent blindness.

Dr Naveen Goyal from the Department of Community Medicine, GMCH, outlined history of rehabilitation of services in our country and various concessions and reservations which needed to be provided to the disabled under different Acts.

Dr Ravi Kumar and Dr P.N. Gupta from Department of Orthopaedics, spoke on the causes of locomotor disability and principles of its evaluation.

SPORTS

Gaganbir shines in biking meet
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, May 12
Gaganbir Singh of Tender Heart School, Sector 33, stole the show in the Chandigarh Mountain Biking Competitions organised by the Chandigarh Amateur Cycling Association at Kaimbala village terrains today. Gaganbir secured first place in boys’ under-18 section massed start time trial and also in below-16 section of the massed start race. In the time trial for the same age group, he clinched second place.

The other results are: senior boys: Massed start — Satnam 1, Parmod 2 and Himat Singh 3; time trial — Satman 1, Parmod 2 and Ajit 3; boys under-18 — Massed start: Jatinder Singh 1, Amandeep Singh 2 and Govind Preet Sigh 3; time trial — Gaganbir Singh 1, Govindpreet 2 and Kiranpreet Singh Baidwan 3; under-16 — Boys: Massed start: Gaganbir Singh 1 and Abhishek 2; time trial — Dipender 1 and Gaganbir Singh 2; boys — Under-14: Deepinder Singh 1, Satwant Singh 2 and Kamaljit Singh 3; and senior girls — Aashi 1,Gurnoor Kang 2 and Nehal 3.

Softball tourney

Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Sector 26, in girls’ section and Unique Club in boys’ section emerged winners in the final of the Chandigarh Softball Championships played at the Dev Samaj College for Women, Sector 45, on Sunday.

In girls’ final, Sacred Heart School defeated Shishu Niketan Senior Secondary School, Sector 22, (11-3), while in boys’ final, St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, beat Unique Club 8-19.

Dr Sudha Sharma, Commissioner, Income Tax, distributed prizes.

Squash tournament

Harinder Pal Singh entered the last four of the men’ section of the CSRA-Mohali Club squash tournament played at Yadavindra Public School, SAS Nagar, on Sunday.

Harinder first beat Vijay Singh (BCS Coach) 9-1, 9-10, 4-9, 7-4 ( conceded). Earlier in the day, he accounted for surprise win over Amitoj Inder Singh in a thrilling five set at 1-9, 9-4, 9-6, 6-9 and 10-8.

A.I.Singh seemed in control in the first game, but Harinder bounced back to take the second and third games. He lost the fourth game when A.I.Singh resumed control of the pace. In the fifth, game it all seemed over for Harinder at 5-8, but he saved three match balls in true gritty style typical of him.

Other results— Under-17 —Hartaj Singh (BCS) b Tejinder Singh (YPS)-15-7, 15-7, 15-9; Jai Sekhon (YPS) b Sidharth (DAV) 15-7, 15-9, 15-5. Under-13 — Amitabh Tewari (St John’s) b Rahul Kumar (BCS) — 15-5, 15-2, 15-10 and then beat Akashdeep (YPS)- 15-2, 15-3, 15-6; S. Pathania (BCS) b Prateek (Welhams) — 14-17, 15-9, 15-12, 9-15, 15-7.

Under-15 — Abha (YPS) b P. Arora (BCS)-15-13, 12-15, 17-14, 15-13; Amitabh (St John’s) b Cyril (Welham)- 12-15, 15-5, 15-4, 15-7; Ishaan (St John’s) b Prateek 12-15, 15-7, 16-17, 15-8, 15-10; S. Jain (BCS) b Prayatna (Welham) 6-15, 15-9, 15-12, 9-15, 15-13; Mahir (YPS) b S. Pathania (BCS) 15-0, 15-1, 15-0; and Karan Brar (St John’s) b R. Jamil (BCS)- 15-5, 15-7, 15-7.

Cricket meet

HSIDC Cricket Club entered the last four of the first Udyog Cup Cricket Tournament by beating Haryana Warehousing Corporation. Brief scores: HWC: 76 runs all out (Ravi Guglani 23, MM Negi 18, Neeraj Tyagi 2 for 10, Rajat Aggarwal 2 for 18).

HSIDC: 77 for one wicket in 11.1 overs (Mahesh Pathak 30 n.o., Rakesh Kumar 29).