HEALTH

Heatstroke cases on the rise
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 13
As the city scorches under 45°C heat, a number of cases of heatstroke are being reported from various city hospitals. The affected, who include adults as well as children, complain of restlessness, high fever, dehydration and increased thirst.

Dr Harkanwal Kaur, a physician in Guru Teg Bahadar Hospital, said the hospital was receiving about 20 such persons everyday in the OPD and 5 in the emergency room. “Most patients complain of fever, lethargy and loose motions. One should be cautious not to let his or her condition deteriorate,” said Dr Harkanwal.

She said adults as well as children should drink a plenty of boiled and cooled water and fluids in such heat. Increased intake of salt is also advised, but not for persons suffering from hypertension. One should avoid junk food and overeating. The intake of carbohydrates and proteins should be increased, but starch and fat in food should be avoided. One should wear loose and light-coloured clothes.

Dr Sandeep Puri, Medical Superintendent in Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, said the rising temperature made most persons lose appetite and thirst and experience nausea, unconsciousness and convulsions. He said the hospital had received no serious case so far, but there had been a number of cases of mild fever.

He said the body temperature of a person who had suffered heatstroke should be brought down and regularly monitored. “One should avoid going out in such heat and direct exposure to sun should be avoided by covering exposed body parts,” he said.

Dr Ritu Gupta, Medical Superintendent of Shri Raghunath Charitable Hospital, said the hospital was receiving about 5 persons with high fever every day. She said: “Adults who have had heatstroke complain of lethargy and nausea, whereas, children complain of dehydration. Body temperature rises in late afternoon and early evening, so, if possible, people should avoid going out at these times. When out, the head should be covered properly and a lot of water should be consumed. Labourers, in particular, should take a lot of fluids. Thirst indicates that the body needs fluids.”

Dr R. Vatsayan, ayurvedacharya, said intake of fluids like ‘shikanjvi’, ‘sharbat’ and fruit juices should be increased in such weather. He said: “Almost all persons who have had heatstroke complain of fever, loss of appetite, nausea and restlessness. In such cases, one should immediately consult a doctor and consume a lot of water. One should take bath twice or thrice a day, as it is cleansing and stimulating.”

The doctors said persons suffering from heatstroke should be given first-aid and immediately taken away from under the sun. If possible, the patient should be wrapped in a sheet or towel soaked in cold water. His body temperature should be noted down every five minutes. Once the temperature comes down, replace the wet cloth with some dry one. In case the body temperature rises again, cooling treatment should be reintroduced.

Exhibition on therapeutic diet 
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 16
‘‘Doctors should leave diet part of the patient to a dietician. It is very important to educate the public regarding the hazards of over and under eating. The services of dietician should be availed by one and all and every hospital should have a qualified and trained dietician for giving proper dietary guidelines’’, said Dr Molly Joshi, Chief Dietician, Department of Dietetics, Christian Medical College and Hospital. She was speaking at an exhibition on ‘Diets suitable for obese and diabetic patients’ here at CMC yesterday.

Dr Joshi expressed concern that people in Ludhiana were becoming diabetic due to their poor dietary patterns and less physical activity. ‘‘Majority of women are becoming diabetic as they watch television and eat all the time. Machines have replaced the physical activities’’, added Dr Molly. She said diabetic patients could lead a healthy and happy life. But this needed taking care of what and when to eat, how to exercise and when the medication had to be taken.

The main objective of the display was to spread awareness about the relation between the disease and proper dietary management. ‘‘If one knows the exchanges and alternatives for each category of food item, it is easy and comfortable for the person to manage the diet in a proper way. It should be made clear that there is not much difference in the basic diet pattern of the family and that of the diabetic person’’, said Dr Molly.

The diabetic patients should strictly avoid sugar, honey, sweets, sherbat, cold drinks, glucose, jaggery, shakkar, jam, jelly, fried fruit, dried fruit, alcohol beverages, cakes, pastries, potatoes and beetroot.

Dr Joshi suggested that a right therapeutic diet was essential for a diabetic patient. At the same time the substitutes of anything in a limited quantity could also be taken by a diabetic patient. ‘‘It is important to take a wide variety of foods in moderation’’, stressed Dr Joshi.

A number of educational charts on the hazards of obesity were displayed along with sample presentation of cooked healthy meals. The symptoms, types, complications and dietary precautions for diabetic patients was exhibited through simple text and pictures. There were also sections on nutritive value of different foods, exchange lists, tips on healthy diets and proper dietary habits. A numbers of dietitian and dietetic interns of the department were there to take the body mass index (BMI) and the waist hip ratio of the patients to assess their obesity status and also to give advice accordingly. ‘‘A number of persons have come to seek diet counseling for their relevant problems’’, said one of the dietetics intern.

Cricket meet from May 25
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, May 16
Twelve teams have confirmed their participation for the 7th Invitation Cricket Cup Tournament to be organised by the College of Agriculture, PAU, which begins here at the Punjab Agricultural University ground on May 25. Matches to be played on knock-out basis will be held on Saturdays and Sundays. Entries may be sent to Dr M.S. Mahal, senior entomologist (Ecology), Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, by May 22 or may be contacted over phone no 550195.

ADMINISTRATION

More documents allowed for voters’ identity
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 16
With a view to preventing impersonation of voters and facilitating their identification at the time of general elections to Municipal Corporation Ludhiana, the district administration has allowed 16 more alternative identification documents to the photo identity (PAN) cards.

The Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr A.K. Sinha, informed here yesterday that service identity cards issued to its employees by the state/Central Governments, public sector undertakings, Local Bodies or other private industrial houses, bank/ kisan/ post office passbooks, ration cards issued prior to January 1, 2002, SC/ST/OBC certificates issued by competent authority, student identity cards, property documents such as pattas, registered deeds etc., arms licenses, conductor licenses issued by the transport authority, pension documents such as ex-servicemen’s pension book/ pension payment order, ex-serviceman’s widow/ dependent certificates, railways/ bus passes, certificate of physical handicap and freedom fighter identity cards would be accepted as proof of identity.

He also said that any document as enumerated above, which was available only for the head of family would be allowed for the purpose of identification of other members of the family. Similarly, any document in the name of any other member of the family could also be used for identification of other members, provided the other members could be identified on the basis of such document.

Mr Sinha said that on May 19, all commercial establishments and factories would remain closed under the Factories Act 1948 and those shops, which were not covered under the Factories Act were also required to be closed for three hours to enable the employees/ workers to cast their vote.

‘Clean and green’ campaign for city
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 16
The Municipal Corporation has decided to launch an education programme for residents and a campaign to make the city clean and green. This would be achieved by providing necessary sanitary education and public participation.

In a press note issued here today by Mr R.L. Kalsia, Commissioner, MC, to achieve the desired results, some measures would to be taken, which include weekly inspection reports to be sent by the zonal commissioners along with a press note and photographs to the Commissioner. Besides this all households would be educated through extensive ‘munadi’ and distribution of handbills to ask residents to use two dustbins in each house, one for solid waste and another for the remaining waste.

Moreover, the transportation of garbage to the final garbage collection dump would be made after collection and segregation. Similarly, shopkeepers would also be made aware of the same practice while depositing waste at the collection-container site, failing which the legal recourse would be taken.

As per the new decision, the Zonal Commissioner would ensure that garbage collection places/containers were kept clean and more sites for placement of containers may be identified by the end of this month. The low-lying and uneven areas should also be levelled.

The corporation has already approved the purchase of machinery worth Rs 3 crore and therefore 50 per cent of the machinery which is urgently required such as dumper placers, containers and wheelbarrows would be purchased immediately. The remaining machinery would be purchased in October, 2002.

All garbage containers would be properly painted with the prescribed colour and the name of the ward and MC would be mentioned on each container. In order to mobilise the public, the Zonal Commissioners with the sanitation staff would hold meetings for collection, segregation and transportation of the garbage. The zonal commissioner shall also rope in Mahila Mandals, teachers/students of schools/colleges to make the city clean and green.

Seminars at the zonal level and municipal level would also be organised by the zonal Commissioner to be attended by political parties, prominent stake-holders and councillors.