BODY & MIND
DMA strives to end quackery menace
Tripti Nath

Within a fortnight of assuming charge as the president of the Delhi Medical Association, Dr Anil Bansal has succeeded in getting a positive response from Delhi Health Minister on various issues related to public health and professional interests of young doctors. The Health Minister is reported to have returned an affirmative to the DMA’s demand to hold elections of the Delhi Medical Council to give due representation to doctors. The 11 new office-bearers of DMA, led by Dr Bansal, met Dr Walia and sought his intervention in addressing the menace of quackery and problems faced by doctors running nursing homes and private clinics.

The memorandum handed over to the Delhi Health Minister, points out that the National Capital alone has 40,000 quacks, who are playing with the lives of people. According to DMA, about 10,000 chemists are selling medicines without proper prescription and bills. While Delhi Medical Council has so far registered 19,500 MBBS doctors, Bhartiya Chikitsa Parishad has registered about 5,000 doctors. The DMA has pointed out that the World Health Organisation slogan on ration use of drugs has failed to evoke the desired response due to quackery.

According to the DMA, owners of nursing homes and private clinics face numerous problems as registration of nursing homes, MTP (Medical Termination of Pregnancy) centres, Ultra Sound Machines, disposal of bio-medical waste are required to be done separately. The DMA has demanded a system of single window registration and reduction of one-time commission charges by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and reduction in house tax as proposed by DDA.

Apart from the aforesaid demands, the DMA has requested Dr Walia to introduce schemes for rehabilitation of doctors of nearly 10,000 young doctors who are either not suitable employed or unemployed. In public interest, the Association has sought the state government’s co-operation in organising public awareness campaigns on issues related to population, HIV/AIDS, Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR TB), Hepatitis and polio.

Helpline centre for SARS: The Delhi Medical Association has opened a helpline centre to disseminate information on SARS. The helpline ‘23271726’ will function between 11 am and six pm and will have specialists, including Dr Anil Bansal, Dr Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Dr Ramesh Dutta, Dr Ajay Gambhir and Dr K. K. Aggarwal.

The DMA has also issued guidelines with the help of chest specialists for the members to maker them aware of diagnosis and management of SARS. To counter the disease awareness programmes, poster campaigns and information through the media will also be undertaken.

Cancer cases likely to climb: Cancer rates could further increase by 50 per cent to 15 million new cases in the year 2020, says the World cancer report released in Mumbai earlier this month. The report provides clear evidence that healthy lifestyles and public health action by the government and the health practitioners could stem this trend and prevent as many as one third of the cancers worldwide.

The report also predicts a sharp increase in new cases - from 10 million new cases globally in 2000 to 15 million in 2020, will mainly be due to the steadily ageing population in both developed and developing countries and also to current trends in smoking prevalence and the growing adoption of unhealthy lifestyles. It is also pointed out that almost 50 per cent of the worldwide patients are from developing countries.

Tobacco is blamed to be the single most important cause of cancer in both developed and developing countries. In developing countries, a further 23 per cent of malignancies are linked with the infectious agents, including hepatitis B and C virus, cervical and ano-genital cancers and stomach cancers. Oncologists say that vaccinations could be a key to preventing these cancers.

Onset of the tobacco epidemic, earlier exposure to carcinogens, western lifestyles are considered the reasons for a greater cancer burden. Health experts point out that early detection of cancer is vital. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an organisation of 18 national cancer institutes designated cancer centres in the US, has developed guidelines for more than 98 percent of all types of cancers. The guidelines are written by physician committees drawn from leading academic and research institutions. They are based on the best available medical evidence or committee consensus when the evidence is controversial or absent and are reviewed and revised continuously.

Health awareness campaign: Owing to the number of diabetics, the WHO has declared India as the diabetes Capital of the world. To create awareness across the country about the dreaded disease, Delhi Diabetes Research Centre (DDRC), New Delhi, is organising a massive health awareness campaign for the fifth consecutive time.

The campaign will address diabetes, diet, yoga, physique and fitness and will conduct free blood sugar tests, blood pressure checks and a heart check-up.

“The programme would conclude with a serious take home message with emphasis on being fit and fine,” said the president of DDRC, Dr A. K. Jhingan. Specialists from various hospitals, like AIIMS, Ganga Ram, Safdarjung and RML, are a part of the campaign.

Important literature and informative material on diabetes will be distributed. Dr Jhingan said that stress would be on diabetes, the diabolic disease, which in a silent way harms the human body and the mind.

“This campaign would serve as a best platform to the parents and children to clarify their doubts and queries about insulin from diabetic educators,” said Dr Anil Bansal, President DMA.

Safe Motherhood Day: With April 11, Kasturba Gandhi’s birth anniversary having been declared the National Safe Motherhood Day, White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood organised a rally to mark the occasion. The theme for this year is ‘Save our Mothers’.

The Alliance, a coalition of organisations working together to reduce maternal deaths and disability has been trying to focus on the need to provide health care facilities to expectant women. According to the statistic made available, one woman dies every five minutes from a pregnancy-related death in the country. The number of such deaths annual is a shameful 100,000.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit flagged off the rally. Among those who participated were MP and socialite, Shaban Azmi and other social activists.

Panelists at a discussion organised by Apollo Health & Lifestyle Ltd to mark World Health Day at India Habitat Centre.

SPORTS

Ashish, Ajit power Sahara to victory
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 12
An electrifying unbeaten knock of 84, off 92 balls with 11 boundaries, by Ashish Sharma and a crippling bowling performance of 3 for 28 by off-spinner Ajit Chandela powered Air Sahara to a seven-wicket victory over Bright Club in the 13th All-India Om Nath Sood Memorial Cricket Tournament at the Kalindi College ground on Saturday.

Bright Club won the toss and opted to bat. But their batsmen were caught in the spin web of the Sahara bowlers to be bundled out for 158 in 40 overs. In reply, Air Sahara were well-served by the fine knock of Ashish Sharma, and coasted to a comfortable victory. Sahara made 160 for 3 in 31.4 overs.

Ashish Sharma was presented the Pepsi man of the match award by chief guest Kimati Lal Gorkey.

Scores: Bright Club: 158 in 40 overs (Dinesh Yadav 36, Ajit Chandela 3 for 28, Kapil Mehta 2 for 24, Anoop Rana 2 for 25).

Air Sahara: 160 for 3 in 31.4 overs (Ashish Sharma 84 n o, Mohd. Atiq 33, Nishant Sharma 2 for 25).

Jawaharlal Nehru Trust win

Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Trust (JNST) defeated Ministry of External Affairs by 179 runs and entered the final of the Commonwealth Cricket Tournament at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. JNST will take on BHC in the final on Sunday.

Scores: JNST XI: 309 for 6 in 40 overs (Sunil Narula 68, Vivek Razdan 67, Ramesh Chopra 39, K S Bedi 33 n o, Dhanraj 30, Sanjeev 3 for 33).

Ministry of External Affairs: 130 in 20 overs (Sanjeev 42, Rajesh 35, Sundeep Joshi 4 for 19, Sandeep Malhotra 3 for 8).

Venkatraman shines for United Delhi
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 12
An all-round performance by Ashwin Venkatraman (4 for 34 and 47) helped United Delhi Cricket Academy beat R P Academy by five wickets in a league match of the first Dr Hedgewar Cup Under-15 Cricket Tournament at the Rashtriya Swabhiman Khel Parishad, Pitampura. Ashwin received the man of the match.

Scores: R P Academy: 178 all out in 40 overs (Kaif Mohammed 51, Mukul Dangar 35, Ashwin Venat Raman 4 for 34, Deepak Sharma 2 for 46).

United Delhi Academy: 181 for 5 in 39.2 overs (Ashwin Venkatraman 47, Kshitij Patni 37, Deepak Sharma 34, Afroz Masi 3 for 26).

Delhi Administration win

Delhi Administration beat Telefunken Club by six wickets in a DDCA A-II Division Super League match at the Jamia Millia ground.

Scores: Telefunken: 148 all out in 37.4 overs (Shoaib Prasad 35, Subhash Chander 3 for 16, Manujpal Singh 3 for 30).

Delhi Administration: 150 for 4 in 28.4 overs (Rajender Bharadwaj 29, Mohan Singh 24 n o, Shoaib Prasad 3 for 31).

City Gymkhana defeated Syndicate Bank by nine runs in a B Division Super League match at the Central Secretariat ground.

Scores: City Gymkhana: 231 for 5 in 40 overs (Paramvir Singh 91, Lokesh Kulbe 42 n o, Karanjeet Jass 36, Piyush Tiwari 30, Gautam Sharma 3 for 41, Rajesh Raina 2 for 19). Syndicate Bank: 222 all out in 35.2 overs (Sanjay Gupta 41, Rajesh Raina 36, Rakesh Joshi 3 for 12, Sameer Bandoh 3 for 40, Piyus Tiwari 2 for 36).

Goswami Ganesh Dutt cricket

The Goswami Ganesh Dutt Memorial Cricket Tournament will be held at the Sant Harchand Singh Longowal Sports Complex, Khalsa College ground, from May 25. Sixteen top teams, including 11 times champions Indian Airlines and runners-up Oil and Natural Gas Commission, will take part in the tournament.

Ajit Singh Hockey

The first All-India Sahibzada Ajit Singh Gold Cup Hockey Tournament, organised by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, will be held at the Shivaji Stadium from April 14 to 23.

Union Minister for Fertilizers and Chemicals Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa will inaugurate the tournament.

Thirty teams from different parts of the country will participate in the tournament. The idea behind the tournament is to inject a sense of pride among the countrymen in the national game.

Kanpur Academy enter semi-final
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 12
A fine knock of 48 by Chetan Singh and a fierce 3 for 26 bowling display by Sharad Mishra helped Kanpur Cricket Academy beat Modern School, Barakhamba Road by three wickets and entered the semi-final of the first All-India Ghaziabad Mahanagar Cricket Academy Under-14 Tournament at the Rashtriya Khel Parsar, Pitampura. Chetan received the man of the match award.

Scores: Modern School: 136 all out in 40 overs (Karan Rai 48, Samarth Singh 17, Manan Sharma 16, Sharad Mishra 3 for 26, S Katiyar 2 for 52, Sunil Tripathi 2 for 25).

Kanpur Cricket Academy: 139 for 7 in 34 overs (Chetan Singh 48, Sunil Tripathi 31 n o, Aditya Dhingra 20, Karan Rai 2 for 11, Samarth Singh 2 for 26).

Rajesh, Navdeep star for R P Academy

Rajesh Kumar hit a strokeful 68 and Navdeep Tomar played an all-round role (33 and 3 for 34) which enabled R P Academy beat Indian Airlines Regional Sports Board by 89 runs in the second Rajdhani Cup Cricket Tournament at the Najafgarh Sports Complex ground. Navdeep was declared the man of the match.

Scores: R P Academy: 209 for 3 in 30 overs (Rajesh Kumar 68, Rajat Kumar 63, Navdeep Tomar 33, Manish Kumar 3 for 29).

Indian Airlines: 120 all out in 22 overs (Ajay Kumar 29, Navdeep Tomar 3 for 34, Amit Sharma 2 for 21, Arshad 2 for 32).