The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

US ‘angel investor’ turns philanthropist
A.S.Prashar
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 5
An “angel investor” from the USA has assumed the role of a philanthropist and donated a sum of Rs 50 lakh for the construction of a blood resource centre in Chandigarh which will benefit patients from all over north India.

The Rs 3-crore project being set up by the Blood Bank Society, Chandigarh, in collaboration with Rotary International is expected to be completed within the next couple of months. “The building is ready and we expect the equipment to start arriving any time time”, says Mrs Kanta Saroop Krishan, Honorary Secretary of the Blood Bank Society and the centre. Other office bearers of the project, to be called Rotary and Blood Bank Society Blood Resource Centre include Mr Raja Saboo — President; Dr B.N.S. Walia — Vice-President and Mr Anil Khanna — Treasurer.

The money has been donated by Mrs Kanta Saroop Krishan’s brother, Mr Sudhir Bhagwan, a US national who took early retirement a couple of years ago from a top position in the American computer multinational, Intel Corpn. “I am now what they call in the USA an ‘angel investor’, funding small promising projects by individuals in that country. If the projects succeed, they are funded by venture capitalists and later by bigger financial institutions”.

In town on Thursday on a short visit, Sudhir said that he had always wanted to do something in Chandigarh in memory of his late father, Mr Vishan Bhagwan, who retired as Home Secretary to the Government in pre-reorganised Punjab. “The blood resource centre proposed by the Blood Bank Society was just the kind of project I was looking far. So it took me no time in making a contribution of Rs 50 lakh for the project”. Yesterday, he said, he visited the site of the project and was happy to see it. “It is even better than what I expected”, he said. “I will like to come back to Chandigarh when it is formally launched in two-three months’ time”.

Mrs Saroop Krishan said the centre would now try to build a corpus of about Rs 2 crore from donations from the general public which would help it to meet day to day expenses.

Securitymen beat up attendant in PGI
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 5
Attendant of a patient admitted to the PGI Emergency Ward, was mercilessly beaten up by the private security staff. The only fault of 20-year-old Mangat Ram was that he was trying to gain entry into the ward to inquire about the health of his relative.

Ironically, the incident took place today after the Chief Security Officer at the PGI held a meeting, where all the officials concerned were told that they should be courteous with the patients and their attendants. “The boy, who was trying to enter the Emergency Ward was dragged inside and thrashed up in front of the registration counter by the staff of the private contractor, manning the security inside the PGI,” said one of the PGI employee present in the Emergency Ward.

“The security people beat up my relative, Mangat Ram, inside the Emergency Ward and dragged him to the police post, leaving him with injuries on the face,” alleged Sanjay, son of the patient. Sanjay’s father Ami Chand (55), a resident of SAS Nagar, was admitted to the neurosurgery ward to the Emergency Ward last night after being hit by a vehicle. Attendants of other patients, while confirming the beating up, said even if the boy was trying to enter without a pass, this was no way to handle the situation.

The Chief Security Officer, Mr P.C. Sharma, when contacted said he was not aware of the incident as he had been busy at a meeting. He said the security personnel did not have the right to rough up anybody, and if a complaint was received action would be taken if the person was found guilty.

The police personnel at the PGI police post, while confirming the incident, said though Manga Ram was brought to them but no case was filed. While condemning this kind of behaviour, they said these sort of minor incidents keep taking place frequently.

PGI authorities said the behaviour of the security staff had come under severe criticism, even in the past. Two passes were issued to the attendants of every patient admitted to the Emergency Ward. “Though everyone coming to the PGI is concerned about the well being of their patient and try to force their way inside but taking the law in your hands by the security staff is wrong,” said a senior PGI official.

322 examined at Rotary health
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 5
Rotary Chandigarh Shivalik in association with the Chandigarh Health Department organised a free multi-speciality health camp at Kajheri village here yesterday. A team of doctors from various specialities like medicine, paediatrics, gynae, dental and tuberculosis and a team from the Chandigarh AIDS Control Society examined around 322 patients. Laboratory facilities and medicines were provided free wherever necessary. All doctors were from Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, and General Hospital, Sector 16.

The Director, Health Services, U.T., Dr C.P. Bansal, was the guest of honour and appreciated the work done by Rotary Chandigarh Shivalik and Chandigarh T.B. Society.

Dr G.S. Kochhar, President, Rotary Club Shivalik, informed the Director, Health Services, that Rotary Chandigarh Shivalik had adopted Kajheri village on a long-term basis to make the village free from tuberculosis and other diseases in association with the U.T. Health Department. Dr Shridhar, S.T.O., said in Chandigarh 15,000 persons were suffering from tuberculosis and in India one patient died of tuberculosis every minute. In Kajheri village alone there were 37 patients of tuberculosis and they were on DOTS treatment. He lauded the role of the NGO and particularly the role of Rotary Chandigarh Shivalik for adopting the village to make it tuberculosis-free.

Pulse Polio campaign from Jan 5
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 5
Having been allocated a sum of Rs 8.59 lakh by the ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the Action Plan Pulse Polio Immunisation-2003, the campaign will be launched in the city in two phases on January 5, 6, 7 and February 9, 10 and 11, next year. A steering committee meeting, under the Chairmanship of the Adviser to the Administrator, Ms Neeru Nanda, was held here yesterday.

Dr C.P. Bansal, Director Health Services, said while the first day of the campaign will be booth based, the next two days shall comprise of house to house search. For this, a total of 56 mobile teams have been constituted.

SPORTS

Sanjay Public School win CBSE hockey
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 5
Sanjay Public School won the IV CBSE Hockey National Championship (U-19) which concluded at Oxford Senior Secondary School at Bangalore.

In the final match Sanjay Public School, Sector 44, proved their supremacy defeating defending champions Shah Satnam Ji School, Sirsa 2-1. Jasbir Singh netted the ball after the first half. For the second goal Center half Mandeep Singh gave 2 pass to Ramanjit Singh, who crossed a hit inside the D and Ravinder Singh made no mistake as he pushed the ball into the goal.

In the dying minutes Shah Satnam Ji boys struggled to come back into the game but failed in their effort to equalise.

In earlier matches Sanjay Public School, overwhelmed HPS, Hyderabad 13-0. They led 6-0 after the first half. Jasbir Singh (7) Ravinder Singh (2) Ramanjit Singh (2). Saravdeep Singh (1) Amit (1), were the scorers for the winners.

In another match Sanjay Public School defeated Mayo College 2-0. Jasbir Singh opened the account in the second half and Ravinder Singh completed the tally with a solo effort. In the third round robin match they routed White Eagles Schools 18-0. They were 9-0 at the break. Jasbir Singh was the leading scorer with nine goals. Ramanjit Singh (3) Ravinder Singh (3), Balwinder Singh (2) and Amit (1) were the other scorers.

Sanjay Public School then overcame Ivy League Academy (Hyderabad) in their fourth round robin match 2-0. Jasbir Singh and Ravinder Singh shared a goal each.

List of players: Saravdeep Singh (c), Jasbir Singh, Ramanjit Singh, Amit, Nirmal Singh, Mahesh Pal, Surjit Singh, Jasbir Singh (Sr) Gurtej Preet Singh, Balwinder Singh, Ravinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh.

Manoj, Kuldeep qualify

Manoj Kumar of DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, and Kuldeep Singh of Shivalik Public School, Sector 41-B, have qualified for the CBSE National Athletic Meet to be held at Bhubaneswar, Orissa, from December 20 to 24.

Kuldeep Singh also qualified for 200 metres with a timing of 24.10 seconds while Manoj will run in the 400 metres. He qualified with 51.79 seconds.

In the girls section Lakshmi (14.75 seconds) of SGHM, Sector 38, qualified for 100 metres while Ipsita Chakrabarti (30.44 seconds) and Puneet Brar (1:13:19), both of Vivek High School, Sector 38, qualified for 200 metres and 400 metres, respectively.

CBSE Cluster XI qualifiers are: Boys under-19: 100m: Manoj Kumar (DAV Senior Secondary, Sector-8), Kuldeep Singh (Shivalik Public School); 200m: Kuldeep Singh (Shivalik Public School); 400m: Manoj (DAV Sr. Secondary Sector-9); 800m: Lachan (DAV Senior Secondary Sector-8); 1500m: Joginder (Shivalik Public School).

High jump: Komal Bir Gill (Vivek High School); 3000m: Karan Partap (H.Enderson Jubilee Public School, Kharar); 5000m: Joginder (Shivalik Public School); 4x100: (DAV School, Sector 8) 4x100: (DAV School Sector-8); long jump: Chanderveer (Chamanlal DAV Sr. Sec. School, Panchkula); shotput: Harinder Singh (DAV Sec-8); discus throw: Dilbagh Singh (SD Public School, Chandigarh); javelin: Vijay Mehta (DAV Surajpur); high jump: Manavpreet (Vivek High School); triple jump: Urvash Bir Singh (DAV Sector-10).

Girls (under-19): 100m: Lakshmi (SGHM Sector-38); 200m: Ipsita Chakrabarti (Vivek High School); 400m: Puneet Brar (Vivek High School).

Gymnastics trials

The trials to select Chandigarh gymnastics girls teams in U-14, 17 and U-19 years will be held at gymnastics hall, sports complex, Sector 7, on December 9 at 3 p.m. The trials for boys team will be held on December 10 at the same venue at 3 p.m.

The trials for kho-kho boys team ( U-14) will be held on December 9 at GGMSSS, Sector 18, while trials for girls team will be held on December 10 at the same venue.

The selected teams will participate in the National School Games in Kolkota next year.

Athletics meet

St John’s High School celebrated its annual athletics meet and drill display on Thursday. Flying Sikh Milkha Singh was the guest of honour for the senior school.

Maninder Pal Singh (football), Suraj PS Bajwa (basketball), Karan Mittal (table tennis), Vikas Kaul (badminton) and Arjun Behl (cricket) were declared the best players of the year.

Korfball trials

Trials for the Chandigarh korfball team for the 17th National Korfball Championship will be held at Moti Ram School, Sector 27, on December 7 at 3 pm, according to a press release of the Chandigarh Korfball Association. Interested players should report to Jaswant Singh.