HEALTH

New technique to replace missing, 
deformed body parts
Our Correspondent

New Delhi, September 13
A private medical equipment company has come up with a new technique called cosmetic replacement of organs. This technique refers to the replacement of missing body parts with an artificial structure that looks as much like the natural part as possible. Amputated or missing fingers, toes, nose, ears and breasts can be treated with this technique.

Technomed (India) Pvt. Ltd., headed by Mr Deepak Sapra, has about 23 service centres in India, rendering their services to patients with burns and facing loss of limbs etc. The products include Technomed custom-made pressure garments, Tehlin lower limb systems, Grippon tubular pressure bandages, Technomed foot care products, Nagar silicon products and many more.

With the addition of a complete range of external prosthetics for replacement of missing body parts with an artificial part, the company is now in a position to provide complete solutions to those whose parts are missing and there’s no external functional device. “Using high quality silicone elastomers called Proskin1, we can create small prosthetics like nose, ear and partial foot for patients matching exact feature and colour,” says Mr Deepak Sapra. The material used added with pigments/colours in right proportions could match up to the patient’s skin tone. This prosthetics can be trimmed and finished with the help of scissors and grinding discs.

To make this prosthetics, the patient has to come to Technomed’s laboratory for fabrication and colour matching. Later, the part can be collected, which can be worn (in case of finger/s) or attached with a special adhesive (in case of a missing ear, nose or eye). Missing breasts, in case of women who had to go in for surgery, too can be replaced with specially created substitutes.

“Technomed is involved in the manufacturing and marketing of products related to burns, plastics, cosmetic surgery, orthopedic, prosthetics, rehabilitation and physiotherapy. Proskin1 is one of the latest materials available to meet the need of patient’s requirements with facial and other body defects,” Mr Deepak Sapra said. 

Heart centre reaches out to students
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 13
The Dharma Vira Heart Centre, as part of their outreach programme, is organising ‘free cardiac camps’ in the areas of West and North Delhi. The camps will provide people of these areas an opportunity to get free consultation from some of Delhi's eminent cardiologists from Ganga Ram Hospital.

As a part of this initiative, a free camp will be held in G. S. Apartments in Rohini on September 15 from 7 am onwards.

Apart from getting free consultation from expert cardiologists, the patients can also get tests like ECG, ECHO, blood analysis etc done free of cost.

The cardiac team of the Dharma Vira Heart Centre, comprising some of the best doctors, will be present at the camp to provide free consultation and to attend to the needs of the patients. This will be the third camp to be organised by the centre. Earlier, similar camps were held in Vens Apartments, Rohini, and RBI Colony, Paschim Vihar.

Dr V. K. Chopra, senior consultant cardiologist, Ganga Ram Hospital, said: “Prevention of heart diseases through early diagnosis is the only way to combat the increasing incidences of this disease. Educating the high-risk category persons to follow preventive practices will be one of our key focuses through the camp. We hope that the people of G S Apartments and nearby areas will avail of this opportunity and benefit.”

Apart from these camps, the Dharma Vira Heart Centre has also started a school outreach programme to reach out to the community.

Over the next few months, the hospital will try and reach out to senior school students and their family members to educate them about the growing incidences of heart diseases and train them on the aspects of a healthy lifestyle.

According to Dr J. P. S. Sawhney, “Ganga Ram Hospital has always promoted the cause of healthy living. Since schools are the centres of knowledge, they are the best mediums to educate people about the risks of heart disease. Also, the growing cases of heart disease amongst young adults are a cause of concern. It is imperative that we reach out to the community and educate them."

The Dharma Vira Heart Centre, established in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in 1999, is a cardiac-care centre par excellence, which was built at a cost of Rs 15 crore.

It boasts of two state-of-the-art cardiac operation theatres and a cardiac catheterisation laboratory capable of handling all kinds of complex diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Last year, the centre handled over 2,600 patients out of which there were more than 1,500 angiographies, 350 angioplasties, 550 bypass surgeries and more than 100 pacemaker implants. The centre has renowned medical professionals whose endeavour is to provide the ultimate in medical care integrating it with high standards of quality with the humane touch. 

Sword of retrenchment hangs over health workers
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, September 13
The fear of retrenchment prevails among workers of the Health Department of Haryana who have now announced the launch of an agitation. Stating this, the state president of the Multipurpose Health Workers Association, Ms Asha Sharma, said here today the employees would stage dharnas outside the offices of health officials.

She said a dharna would be staged outside the Civil Surgeon’s office here on September 16. She claimed that the state government had been planning to lay off hundreds of employees as it had allegedly started the process of abolishing about 1500 posts in the state. She said such a move would not only render the employees jobless, but it could also adversely affect the immunisation of children in the urban areas. The dharna programme includes protests at Sonepat on September 17, Karnal on September 19,Bhiwani on October 10, Kaithal on October 11, Mahendergarh on October 17, Rewari on October 18, Gurgaon on October 24, Rohtak on October 29, Panipat on November 7, Sirsa on November 8, Ambala on November 26, Yamuna Nagar on November 28.

SPORTS

24 teams for A Division DSA League
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, September 13
Twenty-four teams will participate in the Delhi Soccer Association (DSA)-SAIL A Division Football League Championship, starting at the Ambedkar Stadium and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, from September 20. Twenty-one teams will compete in the B Division League. The league groupings were finalised at the Club Secretaries' meeting at the Ambedkar Stadium.

In the A Division League, the teams have been divided into three groups of eight teams each. Group A comprises Youngmen, Jat Heroes, Uttrakhand, Young Boys, Raisina, Royal, Victory and Glorious. Group B: Youngsters, Indian Air Force (Palam), Hans, Golden Stars, State Bank, Ashoka, Garhwal Diamonds and Cosmos. Group C: Shastri, Collegians, Royal Rangers, Delhi Cantt., Delhi Veterans, Ahbab, Nav Jyoti Nepal and Uttranchal Heroes. In the B Division, the 21 club teams have been divided into three groups, with Group A having seven teams. They are: Venus, Panchkuian, Paschim Heroes, Delhi Tigers, Shakti, South India and Young Heroes. Group B: Nivia, Banga Darshan, New Friends, Columba's, Timarpur, Gulabi Bagh, YBA and Ajmal. Group C: Lodhi Athletic Club, Rohini, Goodwill, Delhi Students, Punjab Heroes, Union and Young Sports.

The top two teams of each group, in both the A and B divisions, will qualify for the Super League, which will be played on a round-robin basis. The top three teams of A Division and the top two teams of B Division of Super League will qualify for promotion to the Senior and A Division respectively.

Two teams from the A Division will be relegated to the B Division after the three bottom teams of each group clash in play-offs.

The teams are required to complete all formalities with regard to players' registration by September 15. Steel Authority of India Ltd., (SAIL) would be sponsoring the league for the sixth year on trot while Cosco will be the co-sponsors.

Mukesh inches towards Hyundai golf title
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, September 13
Mukesh Kumar returned his second successive score of 65 to open up a five-stroke lead on day three of the Rs 6-lakh Hyundai Open 2002, being played at the par-70 Madras Gymkhana Club course, according to information available in Delhi on Friday. Mukesh's tournament tally stands at 11-under 199 as the sixth leg of the Hero Honda Golf Tour's 2002-03 season heads into its closing stage. Delhi's Ashok Kumar, who was tied with Mukesh and another Delhiite Rohtas Singh, for the lead on Thursday, slipped to second position at six-under 204, while Rohtas was placed third at three-under 207. One of the tour's most improved golfers, S Madaiah of Bangalore, was tied fourth with Kolkata's Yusuf Ali at a tally of 208 while Meerut's Digvijay Singh, winner of two tournaments this season, was tied-sixth with another Bangalorean, R Murthy, at level-par 210.

Mukesh from where he left off on Thursday. Starting his round with a birdie, Mukesh went on to post five more

birdies with a lone bogey on the eighth marring what would have been an error-free round. The birdie on the third was his best coming as it did from the right green-side bunker where his second shot placed him. The birdie on the ninth, an eight-feet downhill effort, was another memorable shot. Mukesh's other birdies came on the fourth, 12th and 16th. "The bogey was a bit disappointing," said Mukesh, who missed a four feet par putt on the eighth. "I have a comfortable lead.

However, golf is a strange game. I will just go out and give it my best shot tomorrow," concluded the thrice Mahindra Champion Golfer of the Year award winner. Ashok Kumar will be faced with an uphill task in his quest for his maiden career title. Even as Mukesh was setting the course on fire, the Delhi Golf Club pro was struggling to break par all day. On his front-nine, back-to-back bogeys on the fifth and sixth were undone by birdies on the seventh and ninth. Thereafter, Ashok birdied the 12th but dropped another shot on the 17th. "It was an ordinary round. I need to produce something special if I am to upset Mukesh tomorrow," said the 20-year old. Rohtas Singh, meanwhile, was a shadow of the player who shot a 66 yesterday. The veteran golfer dropped shots on the sixth, seventh, 12th and 14th, with a lone birdie adorning his card on the 11th. "It was a disappointing round," was all Rohtas would say.

Yudhvir grabs amateur lead: CV Yudhvir, with five-over 215, was the leading amateur, followed by D Nagaraj at 223. Top Scores (after 54 holes): 199—Mukesh Kumar (69,65,65), 204--Ashok Kumar (69,65,70), 207--Rohtas Singh (68,66,73); 208--S Madaiah (70,71,67), Yusuf Ali (70,68,70); 210--Digvijay Singh (71,73,66), R Murthy (72,69,69); 211--SSP Chowrasia (70,72,69), Sheeraz Kalra (69,69,73).

Dravid tops Ceat Cricket Ratings
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, September 13
Rahul Dravid's magnificent 217 runs in India's final Test against England recently, has elevated him to the top of the current Ceat Cricket Ratings.

Dravid (total 53 points) gained a total of 17 points as he became the first contemporary Indian cricketer to score a test double hundred on foreign soil. This is the first time an Indian cricketer has secured the top spot in the Ceat Cricket Ratings for the year 2002-03.

England's Michael Vaughan, who was in supreme touch in the Test series against the Indians, amassing a whopping 615 runs, is in the second place (46 points) in the Ceat Cricket Ratings. Sachin Tendulkar, after his 100th Test, enjoys the fourth sport in the Ceat Ratings, with 38 points---one point less than West Indian Chris Gayle. The other Indians in the top 15 are Harbhajan Singh and Saurav Ganguly, who share the 12th spot, with 28 points each. Team India has maintained its second spot in the Team Rankings with a total of 28 points. Sri Lanka, who are currently playing host to the ICC Trophy, lead the Team Ratings with 35 points.

Rain threatens soccer match

New Delhi, September 13
The Delhi Soccer Association (DSA)was making desperate effort to make the Ambedkar Stadium, water-logged due to the deluge experienced in the Capital for the past 24 hours, fit to conduct the exhibition match between India and the Uzbekistan national team on September 15.