The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

EDUCATION

NIIT package on computer literacy
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, November 23
The Faridabad Small Industries Association (FSIA) and the computer giant NIIT have launched a special package on ‘computer literacy’ in the industry circles here.

According to an FSIA general secretary, Mr Rajiv Chawla, the programme named as ‘swift jyoti’ module was spread over two weeks or a total of 18 hours of learning.

It covers introduction to computers, its usage through windows, MS-Office, Internet and e-Mailing. The programme is available in English and Hindi languages.

The programme is complimented by Linguist “Windik office Suite” CD worth Rs 2,500, provided free to the participant.

According to Mr Chawla, the cost of each Module was Rs 649 instead of Rs 749, to the members of the FSIA and candidates sponsored by it.

He said computer literacy was an essential qualification for any person connected with trade, business, industry, education and service industry.

HEALTH

BODY & MIND
Sheila opens Apollo Cancer Institute
Tripti Nath

CANCER patients can now consult Dr Suresh H. Advani, one of the pioneers of Indian Oncology at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi. The oncology unit of the hospital has been strengthened with the inauguration of Apollo Cancer Institute by Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit. The international advisory board of Apollo Cancer Institute comprises medical, surgical and radiation oncologist from the Cornell Medical University, M D Anderson and Mayo Clinic. The Apollo Group also announced plans for commissioning of Stem Cell Research projects in future. Set up with an initial investment of Rs 25 crore, the institute claims to have India’s first Dynamic Micro Multi-leaf Collimeter and Virtual Simulation. The technology will enable radiation oncologists achieve unprecedented precision in treating cancers of sensitive areas as the brain.

The hospital has announced a special screening package, which would cover all initial diagnostic tests. It would cost Rs 950 for men and Rs 470 for women. Other investigations required for further diagnosis of the disease would also be provided at a discounted rate of 50 per cent. The offer is valid till December end. A tumour board has been constituted to finalise the line of treatment to be followed for each case and to review the progress of the cases. The Centre will be linked by Telemedicine with centres in the semi-urban and rural areas to provide consultation and second opinion to patients. The six year old oncology unit of the hospital offers medical, surgical and radiation oncology. Radiation Oncology was introduced only six weeks back. At any given point of time, about 100 cancer patients are under medication at the oncology unit at Apollo in Delhi.

According to Dr Yogi Mehrotra, Managing Director of Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Dr Advani has quit as Head of Medical Oncology, Tata Memorial, Mumbai and has joined Jaslok and Apollo Group of Hospitals. As Group President, Oncology, Dr Advani will visit the hospital once a month possibly over the weekend. His consultation fee would be anything between Rs 500 and Rs 700. Dr Advani will also visit Apollo Hospital at Chennai and Hyderabad. Besides, He will help the group set up an oncology unit for the Apollo hospital in Ahmedabad. The Apollo hospital in Ahmedabad is likely to start functioning early next year. The hospital now has four consultant medical oncologists, three radiation oncologists and three full-time surgical oncologists assisted by nine specialists in other fields.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister expressed the hope that the institute would help in controlling the spread of the dreaded disease. Chief Secretary, Delhi Government, Mrs Shailaja Chandra said that Delhi government is the major share-holder of Apollo Hospital and expects the hospital management to treat 20 per cent patients free of cost.

BASIC HEALTH WORKER’S TRAINING

Shabana Azmi speaking at the India Habitat Centre.

Cine-star and Rajya Sabha MP Shabana Azmi launched the module on basic health worker’s training at India Habitat Centre here on Thursday. The module has been compiled by the 25-year-old National Neonatology Forum (NNF) in collaboration with CARE India, a voluntary organisation.

The function marked the culmination of the Newborn week celebrations. According to Dr Neelam Kler, Neo-natologist with Ganga Ram Hospital and Secretary, NNF, the module, published in Hindi and English, has been prepared by NNF experts including paediatricians, nurses and social scientists with special interest in the care of the new born. The module has been prepared to educate ANMs, anganwadi workers and traditional birth attendants. She said that 60 per cent of births in India take place outside health institutions, mostly in homes. The care of the pregnant mother is largely in the hands of the midwife or dais (traditional birth attendant).

According to NNF, more than 1.2 million infants die in India every year-the highest in any country. The infant mortality rate is worrying as 68 infants die per 1000 births. One out of every 23 infants in India dies before completing the first four weeks of life. With 26 million live births every year, India faces a mammoth newborn health agenda.

Dr Kler said that the module recommends ante-natal care. Proper nutrition and immunisation of the mother, identification of danger signs in pregnancy, delivery by skilled hands, exclusive and early breast feeding and special care for babies with low birth weight. NNF is of the view that the failure to recognise that the newborn needs supportive care in the initial days for its survival is a factor, which is responsible for the present irreversible trends in infant, prenatal and neonatal mortality. It is with this objective that the NNF has decided to focus on the Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) who have been providing care to the community for hundreds of years.

NNF has embarked on a meaningful project of training auxillary nurse midwives (ANMs) who would further train the dais. In the last three years, NNF has conducted three-day training workshops for doctors in district and referral hospitals in 60 districts in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, North East, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It has evolved a system of evaluation to ascertain that the ANMs have trained the traditional birth attendants. NNF plans to conduct another workshop for auxiliary nurse midwives in Jamshedpur in January. It has also trained ANMs in Bhuj in Gujarat. NNF organised a training programme for dais at Sunderlal Jain Hospital recently. About fifty dais attended the programme.

THE SKILLED AND ABLE DISABLED

The first National Abilympics - contests of vocational skills for persons with disabilities, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Wednesday afternoon.

The event is being organised by the National Abilympics Association of India (NAAI) with support from the Ministries of Social Justice and Empowerment, Railways and Human Resource Development besides the Sports Authority of India and Delhi government.

The main objective of Abilympics is to bring into sharp focus the abilities of persons with disabilities and emphasise the fact that disabled persons are second to none in skills and abilities. The National Abilympics will cover 45 vocational and leisure skills. While the vocational skills contest and leisure and living skills contest is open to person above 15 years of age, children between 5 to 15 years of age can also participate in contests of embroidery, computer skills, painting, chess, card designing, origamy, paper folding, modelling with plasticine and cartooning. The vocational skills contest covers various areas of interest as cane technology, computer programming, ceramics, dress-making, silk hand painting, tie & dye, jewellery making, poster designing, photography, cabinet making, cake decoration and flower arrangement among others. The leisure and living skills contest includes crochet, hand knitting, macrame (knotting), chess, contract bridge, embroidery and batik.

Over 600 disabled persons, who won gold, silver and bronze medals at the regional Abilympics in India last November, are participating in the event. The winners of the National Abilympics will get a chance to compete with their counterparts from other countries in the 6th International Abilympics scheduled to take place in Delhi in November 2003.

CHYAVANPRASHA FROM HIMALAYA DRUG

The Himalaya Drug Company, a herbal healthcare company, has announced the launch of Himalaya Chyavanprasha. The company has announced star Indian cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan as brand ambassadors for Chyavanprasha. The product’s Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is `Sehat ho ya Kaamyabi-No Shortcuts’. Chyavanprasha is available in a 500 gm jar and is priced at Rs 110. Dr S.K. Mitra, Executive Director, Research & Technical Services, Himalaya Drug Company says that the Chyavanprasha has been developed by following set traditional guidelines supported by superior process development techniques to offer a product with a better flavour and measured efficacy.