Fighting AIDS with friends’ compassion
Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 24
Widowed at 33, with the responsibility of a one-year-old daughter, as militants gunned down her husband, life for Swaranjeet Kaur, a school clerk in a small town in Punjab, could have been hell had it not been for the help and support of her colleagues, who instead of ostracising her for carrying the dreaded AIDS virus, brought her for treatment to PGI

“Eversince my colleagues at the government school where I am posted guided me to PGI, my health has improved and with the doctors giving me at least 10 more years of life, I shall be able to settle my 12-year-old daughter, who is unaware of my disease,” says a frail Swaranjeet (name changed) sounding optimistic.

Her’s is a rare case where the community has stepped in to provide all possible help, instead of the usual ostracisation and shunning of those known to be suffering from AIDS. “It was in the year 1991 that militants gunned down my husband, who was a contractor but it was in April this year that my blood test confirmed that I had contracted AIDS,” says 44-year-old Swaranjeet. Being in a small town I was rather reluctant to take treatment in my place of posting, that is when my colleagues accompanied me to PGI, she says.

She says her colleagues have been very understanding and treat her normally, though she has not disclosed about the disease to her in-laws , who she feels will not be able to understand. “My 12-year-old daughter too is unaware of my disease, as I feel she is too small to understand the problem and by the time she grows up, she will hopefully get to know,” she reveals.

“Swaranjeet’s is the only case where I have seen that the AIDS patient got help and support of the community, which is a very encouraging and a positive step which helps the patient psychologically, asserts a PGI doctor, treating AIDS patients. He says since Swaranjeet can afford to take her medicines and a good diet because of her job and rental income from the property left by her husband, she will be able to lead a near normal life for some more years.

Swaranjeet, says with the help of her colleagues and sister she has been lucky enough to get the right treatment, which has definitely helped her. “Eversince, I started taking the medicines my appetite has improved, as a result of which I have put on weight,” she says with all praise for the PGI doctors, who she says were a major help.

The doctors treating AIDS victims say that a major problem being faced by patients is the high cost of medicines. He says the monthly cost of ant- retroviral drugs for a fully blown AIDS case would be more than Rs 7,000 for protease inhibitor based regimens and about Rs 1,500 for those taking triple combination of RTI’s. “Majority cannot afford this treatment, but in case of government servants the medical reimbursement could have been the easy way out had it not been for the social stigma attached to the disease,” say doctors.

Doctors point out that in case of government servants suffering from AIDS, they get requests to write some other medicines, instead of the ones for AIDS, so that they can claim reimbursement without others getting to know about their disease. “Being unethical, we cannot do it but if the government could devise a way so that the AIDS patient can get medical reimbursement, without others coming to know about the nature of the disease, it could be in their interest,” suggest doctors.

PGI to have bone marrow centre
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 24
The Centre has decided to set up a bone marrow transplant centre at the PGI, Chandigarh, and expand the cancer treatment facility at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to provide relief to the patients suffering from the dreaded disease.

Health Minister Shatrughan Sinha announced this at the ongoing three-day Second International Society of Paediatric Oncology — Asia Conference. He said that would go a long way in providing better cancer facilities to children suffering from cancer in India. About 35,000 to 40,000 children developed cancer in India every year and the success of treatment normally depended upon early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

Rohit, Amber first in skating championship
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, November 24
Rohit Bajaj and Amber, both of the Blue Bird Skating Club, Panchkula, secured the first place in boys and girls section, respectively, in the road races in the 2000 metre section of the Eightin District Panchkula Skating Championship, which came to a close this evening at Hansraj Public School skating rink, Sector 6, Panchkula. Meanwhile, a majority of the first positions were secured by the Blue Bird Skating club.

Ms Ritu Chaudhary, City Magistrate, Panchkula who was the chief guest, gave away the prizes.

Winners in various age groups are below six: Musical Chair; boys-Divanshu- HPS; girls-Shreya-HPS.

(Road Races): (below eight): Gautam-Blue Bird club; (below10): girls-Naurin-Bhavan Vidyalya-15; boys-Vishal-BlueBird club; (below 14): boys-3000m; Mayank-Blue Bird club; girls-Geetika Anand-Blue Bird club; (above14 years): boys-Amit Chaudhary-Manav Mangal; girls-Rajani-Blue Bird club.

Roller Hockey: (sub-junior boys) Hansraj Skating club1, Blue Bird club 2, Nav Bal Niketan 3. Sub-Junior girls: Manav Mangal1, Blue Bird club 2. Junior boys: Satluj Skating club1, Blue Bird club2. Senior girls: Hansraj Skating club1.

Sports meet

Sharda Sarvhitkari Senior Secondary School, Sector 40, has been adjudged the all-round best school in the All India Vidya Bharti School Sports meet which concluded recently at Bhiwani. The school students won accolades in basketball (below17); Volleyball (below 17 and below19); handball (third place) Earlier the students won the North Zone sports championship which comprised of states Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir Delhi and Chandigarh, according to Mr Jagdish Mitter, Head, sports activities of the school.

St Stephen’s win

St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, lifted the trophy in the ICSE Inter School Cricket tournament (Chandigarh region) played here last evening. In the final, St Stephen’s got the better of Yadavindra Public School, SAS Nagar, by six wickets. Batting first, YPS made192 runs for the loss of five wickets in the stipulated 25 overs. Raghav Sharma made spirited 63 runs and Anshul Goel scored 45 runs. Amarpreet Singh also contributed a breezy 35 runs.

St Stephen’s achieved the target with still six wickets in hand. They made195 runs. Deepak Gupta remained unbeaten with a solid knock of 80 runs. Saurabh Kumar and Sidhant Sharma scored 44 runs and 35 runs, respectively. Sidhant Sharma and Harman Singh captured two wickets each for 28 and 29 runs, respectively.

Anshul Goel of YPS was awarded the player of the tournament award.

Cricket tourney

The Godrej Cricket Club lifted the title of the IXth JALCup League Cricket tournament when they overpowered the Chandigarh Youth XI by six wickets in the final played at Cricket Stadium, Sector 16, here today.

Batting first, the CY XI were all out for 134 runs while in reply, the GCC achieved the target at loss of just four wickets in 28.4 overs.

Vishal Sahni, who scored hurricane 52 runs, was declared the best batsman, JS Pannu of the 3 BRD XI was adjudged the best bowler while Amit Kakria of the GCC the best allrounder.

Brief scores: CY XI: 134 runs all out (Sapan 45 n.o., Rohin Rana 21, Amit Kakria 3 for 24, Satish Chaudhary 2 for 31, Dharinder Gusain 2 for 20, Gourav Sood 2 for 22).

GCC: 138 runs for four in 28.4 overs (Vishal Sahni 52, Umesh Kaira 28 n.o., Amit Kakria 18, Harwinder Bawa 16, Aman Sidhu 2 for 15).

Volleyball tournament

To celebrate the 25th year of the formation of the Pauri Garhwal Iriyakot Malla Bhratri Sangathan Chandigarh, a volleyball tournament was organised. In the finals played here today, Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, defeated the Youth Federation Club-27 at 25-15, 22-25, 25-19, 25-15. Balbir Singh was the captain from the winners side while Rupesh Sharma captained the Youth Club.

Earlier in the semi-finals, the Youth Club beat the Iriyakot B team 25-22, 25-14, 25-23 while Shivalik Public School had beaten the Youth Club, Phase V, SAS Nagar, at 25-17, 25-20, 25-17.