The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

Just one ECG machine to hear foetal echo
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 7
Even though 10 newborn babies per 1,000 suffer from congenital heart diseases, including blue babies, yet there is only one ECG machine to perform foetal echo at the PGI, to detect these diseases at an early stage for timely treatment.

The PGI, which has this facility for the past 10 years, is unable to provide it to everyone as the number of patients coming here is far more than the load that can be taken by the machine, which is being used in the West for early detection of a congenital heart disease (CHD).

“Since till date the real cause for CHD, like a hole in the heart, valve obstruction and blue babies is not known , the only solution we recommend is early detection and treatment with the help of foetal echo,” said Dr Richard Hawker, a paediatric cardiologist from Sydney, while delivering a lecture on “Management of neonates” at the PGI today.

He said CHD may be caused due to factors like chromosomal abnormality and genetic problems but with the exact causal factor still unknown, the only solution recommended was early diagnosis by doctors about the problem. He added that early hospitalisation and treatment could be undertaken only if the problem was detected on time.

He said 10 newborn babies per 1,000 had CHD, with the number of blue babies being two. He explained that with the amount of oxygen in the blood being low, the baby had a blue appearance.

“We are catering to a population of one million with a single ECG machine at the PGI to perform foetal echo. To make the facility available to all, we need 10 times the number of surgeons, paediatrics, paediatric cardiologists and equipment,” said Dr Anil Grover. He stressed that it was essential to identify the problem early so that surgery could be performed before the child was two years old.

Dr Hawker further said that cardiac MRI was being used in difficult forms of CHD, where it was tough to detect the problem through an angiography. While stating that gene research was on to zero down on the real cause of CHD, he said inbreeding could be one of the factors, even though it went against Darwin’s principles.

SPORTS

Ashu, Sandeep register wins
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 7
In the first match of 19th N.K. Duggal Memorial Chandigarh State Senior and Junior Billiards and Snooker Championships, Ashu Gupta beat Puneet Sharma 3-2. Leading by 2-0, Ashu Gupta was not able to concentrate in the next two frames which he lost. But in the deciding frame, Ashu bounced back and showing good potting and excellent cue ball control, he pocketed the final game and the match. The final scores were 53-47, 52-33, 46-55, 42-53 and 49-29 in favour of Ashu Gupta. Ashu would meet top seed Sandeep Duggal in the next match.

In junior snooker section, Sandeep Sharma beat Robin 3-1. In the first frame, Sandeep did not give any chance to Robin and pocketed the frame 73-42 but in he had to struggle hard to win the second frame on the black ball 48-45. Robin made a comeback and won the third frame on the black ball 45-41 but in the fourth frame Sandeep was too good for Robin and he bagged the frame and the match 3-1. The final scores were 73-42, 48-45, 41-45 and 54-19 in favour of Sandeep Sharma.

In another match, Manu Singh had to struggle hard to beat Rahul Singla in the deciding frame and on the black ball 3-2. The final scores were 24-54, 64-39, 37-85, 56-27 and 63-53 in favour of Manu Singh. In junior billiards section Sandeep Sharma beat Manu Singh 183-169 in a neck-and-neck fight.

Football trials

Trials to select the Chandigarh state sub-junior (under-16 years for boys) football team for participation in the sub-junior national football championship (north zone) going to be held at Chamba in Himachal Pradesh from November 20 to 28, 2002, will be held at Football Stadium, Sector 17, Chandigarh, on November 9, 2002 at 1 p.m. according to Mr Rakesh Bakshi, Hony Secretary, Chandigarh Football Association.

Mr Bakshi further stated that those intending to give trials should bring with them there date of birth certificate in original along with the attested photocopy of the certificate. Those born on or after January, I, 1987 are eligible for trials.

SPS-44 win

Sanjay Public School, Sector 44, today beat St John’s High School, Sector 26, Chandigarh, 3-0 to win the title in the Chandigarh (under-17) Football Championship. First goal was scored in the 22nd minutes by Sachin. The second goal came in the 28th minute off a penalty kick by Sahib Singh while the third goal, scored by Ajay, came in the 48th minute.

Handball trials

Trials to select Chandigarh senior women handball team for participating in the 32nd National Games to be held at Hyderabad will be conducted on November 11, while trials for the selection of Chandigarh sub-junior girls handball team for 19th Sub-Junior National Meet be held at Kozkhikode will be conducted on November 12. Both the trials will be held at DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8-C at 3 p.m., according to a press note released by the Chandigarh Handball Association.

Cricket meet

The UT Cricket Association will organise inter-college league-cum-knockout tournament from November 16 at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium, DAV College, Sector 10, and Punjab Engineering College, Sector 12, Chandigarh. All the matches will be of 45-over duration, but in the final, a team will get 50 overs.

An entry fee of Rs 500 will be charged. The entries should be sent to association’s office in Sector 16 Cricket Stadium from 4 pm to 6 pm on working days later by November 14.