The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

BODY & MIND
Asthma can be controlled: DMA
Tripti Nath

ON the occasion of World Asthma Day on May 6, the Delhi Medical Association (DMA) has announced that asthma is controllable and henceforth no patient should now die of asthma. Delhi has about 10 lakh patients of asthma, according to DMA.

Experts from the Patel Chest Institute, chest specialists and DMA members have identified warning signals as bluish discolouration of the skin or nails, respiratory rate exceeding 30, prominence of accessory muscles in the neck while breathing, pulse rate exceeding 120, inability to lie down or complete a sentence or a phrase.

They recommend immediate hospitalisation in case any of these signs are visible. Experts have further warned that even a mild asthma can have a fatal exacerbation and every patient should therefore have a written home management programme to manage acute exacerbation at home.

Dr Anil Bansal, President of DMA, Dr V.K. Vijayan, Director Patel Chest Institute, Dr K. K. Aggarwal, Chairman of DMA Scientific Committee, Dr Sarvesh Kumar, chest specialist and Dr I. P. Dhalla, President (elect) DMA are in agreement over the curative properties of 'Jalneti', a technique involved in nasal wash. The doctors have pointed out that 'Jalneti' has now been accepted in most of the asthma rehabilitation programmes the world over.

Joining hands to support AIDS patients

A four-day seminar highlighting ‘Leadership for Results Programme’ for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHWA) concluded here on Friday. The seminar was organised by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with Indian Network for People Living with HIV/AIDS (INP+), National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) and Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM).

There was a consensus on the recommendation to strengthen partnership between PLHWA, the UN system and the corporate sector. INP+ President Abraham Kurian sought the support of all partners in achieving goals in areas of capacity building, funding and resources, greater involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS, treatment, care and support and access to information. All the 130 PLHWA leaders from different parts of the country agreed that the recommendations are vital for containing the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The leadership for results programme has been developed by UNDP. The yearlong programme is aimed at developing the capacity of 3.97 million people with HIV/AIDS living in India to influence others to scale up responses and contain the HIV/AIDS epidemic. HIV/AIDS is one of UNDP’s six corporate priorities.

Addressing participants at the valedictory session, Dr Meenakshi Datta Ghosh, Additional Secretary and Project Director, NACO said, “The government is strongly committed to involve PLHWA as key partners within the national response to HIV/AIDS and support the capacity and leadership development of PLHWA.”

Dr Brenda Gael McSweeny, UN Resident Co-ordinator and Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme India, said that the only effective response to a challenge posed by HIV/AIDS, which touches so many areas of our personal, community and national life is through truly collaborative multi-sectoral partnerships.

Man undergoes penile re-implantation

A 26-year-old married man from Kurukshetra, who benefited from a rare penile re-implantation at the Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute here on April 17, was discharged on Thursday. The man suffering from bipolar depression had cut himself in a demented state. He was brought to the hospital four hours after he had mutilated the organ.

Dr Rajesh Taneja, Senior Consultant of Urosurgeon at PSRI, who performed the microsurgery, said that the surgery was complicated as the man had cut the organ several places before cutting it from the root. “We had to suture all the blood vessels and repair nerves and other structures besides stitching the organ. His relatives were swift in assembling the organ in ice pack and bringing it here.”

Dr Taneja said that the patient developed infection on the implant on the eighth day. He has been advised some medication and has to come back for a review. He said that in the past, penile repair procedures do not involve microsurgical repair but only a general surgery. “Though the grafts survived, there were complaints of reported skin loss, insensitivity, inability to perform sex and other problems. The new microsurgical procedure overcomes such limitations. A pair of plastic implants can be used to restore erectile function. The plastic implants cost Rs 15,000,” he said.

The rare penile implantation done for the first time in the institute cost Rs 60,000.

According to experts, most cases of penile amputation are usually the result of self-mutilation in-patients suffering from psychiatric disorders.

It is an uncommon injury. While 87 per cent of the patients have psychiatric problems, 25 per cent mutilate their organ in an inebriated state. The non-psychotic group comprises transsexuals or persons with character disorders.

Single shot vaccine for typhoid

The launch of TYPBAR-Vi, a single shot vaccine for typhoid by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited, is welcome in India, which falls in the category of endemic or hyperendemic to the disease. The vaccine was launched by the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Mr S.M. Krishna on Friday.

The company is known for developing new generation vaccines and bio-pharmaceuticals. The TYPBAR vaccine is being manufactured under Current Good Manufacturing Practice conditions and regulations in state-of-the-art facilities at Hyderabad. Bharat Biotech is aiming at an annual production of 50 million doses of TYPBAR. The vaccine is priced at Rs 175. The company claims that the positive cost-benefit ratio of TYPBAR is due to its single-dose primary immunisation, higher seroprotection percentages and safety.

An acute life-threatening illness caused by bacterium Salmonella typhi, typhoid fever, is characterised by fever, headache, malaise, anorexia, splenomegaly and relative bradycardia. About 6 million cases of typhoid fever are reported in India every year.

Commenting on the new vaccine, Dr K.S. Sachdeva, Secretary, IMA College of General Practitioners said, “The efficacy of any vaccine is determined on the basis of its sero protective value. This vaccine is high priced for a public health programme.”

When disease gnaws at dignity

In a joint message on the International Red Cross Red Crescent Day on May 8, the heads of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, have stated that human dignity is under threat on many fronts: from war; from disease and from disaster.

“Our message at this year’s international conference of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement will be that human dignity, to which everyone has a right, must be protected. This challenge may appear insurmountable-millions affected by AIDS, many still suffering in the midst of conflict, poverty denying access to the very basics of a dignified life, but we have mechanisms to respond,” reads the statement issued by Dr Jakob Kellenberger, President, International Committee of the Red Cross and Don Juan Manuel Suarez del Toro Rivero, President, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Students visit herbal garden

Senior secondary students from Delhi schools visited the herbal gardens at Rashtrapati Bhawan early this week.

Spread over 10 acre, the herbal garden has 30 species of medicinal and aromatic plants. The Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow, demonstrated extraction of oil from various plants grown in the garden.

The President, Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam took students around and explained to them the significance of herbal and aromatic plants.

DDCA to hold Under-15 tourney from today
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, May 10
The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) will hold an Under-15 Tournament at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground from Sunday, and the performance in the tournament will be considered for the selection of the Delhi Under-15 team to represent the State for the season 2003-2004.

DDCA sports secretary Sunil Dev said on Saturday that Union Cabinet Minister Arun Jaitley, who is also the president of the DDCA, will inaugurate the tournament at 7.30 am. Professional Management Group and Delhi Blues will clash in the opening match.

Anubhav, Simranjeet shine

An unbeaten 94 by Anubhav Diwan and deadly bowling of 3 for 27 by Simranjeet Singh helped Ramjas Day Boarding School defeat Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Academy by six runs in the first Harry Cup Under-15 Cricket Tournament at the Central School ground, Rani Bagh. Anubhav was declared the man of the match.

Scores: Ramjas Day Boarding School: 194 for 6 in 30 overs (Anubhav Diwan 94 n o, Jagdev Singh 41, Shubhankar Sharma 31).

SPM Academy: 188 all out in 29.4 overs (Abhimanyu Pruthi 92, Piyush Mehnidiretta 36, Simranjeet Singh 3 for 27, Milind Kumar 2 for 19).

Aryavrat awards function

The Aryavrat Sports Club will hold its seventh Annual Awards Function at the Roshanara Club on Sunday at 6 pm.

Union Human Resources Development Minister Murali Manohar Joshi and Dronacharya cricket coach Ramakant Achrekar will be honoured at the function. A limited-over cricket match will be played in the morning between Aryavrat XI and Achrekar XI.

Rajdhani shock Sonnet, enter final

Rajdhani Sports shocked Sonnet Club by five wickets to enter the final of the fourth BDM Cup Cricket Tournament at the Palam A ground. Joginder Singh, who scored 77 runs, was named the man of the match.

Scores: Sonnet Club: 212 for 7 in 40 overs (Deepak Joon 78, Devender Sharma 74, Tapeshwar Tyagi 2 for 17).

Rajdhani Sports: 213 for 5 in 38.5 overs (Joginder Sharma 77, Damanjeet Singh 52, Ravi Yadav 32 n o, Utkarsh Chandra 3 for 41).

Gaurav hits century

Gaurav Chabra slammed a strokeful century and Vishal Tyagi played an all-round role (50 and 3 for 24) to help Lal Bahadur Shastri Club beat Youngsters Club by 30 runs and entered the final of the Shera Pandit Memorial Cricket Tournament at the Mohan Meakins ground. Shastri Club will take on Air Sahara in the final.

Scores: Lal Bahadur Shastri Club: 218 for 7 in 40 overs (Gaurav Chabra 104, Vishal Tyagi 50, Dileep TT 38, Mohit Saini 2 for 38).

Youngsters Club: 188 all out in 36.5 overs (Rajender Bisth 60, Naresh Kumar 44, Mrinal Saini 42, Vishal Tyagi 3 for 26, Vishal Sharma 3 for 24, Ashutosh Sharma 2 for 25).

Collage Group coast to thrilling victory
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, May 10
Collage Group coasted to a thrilling last-ball, one-wicket victory against Rajdhani Sports and entered the semi-final of the 30th Goswami Ganesh Dutt Cricket Tournament at the Khalsa College ground on Saturday.

Sachin Chaudhary, who claimed two wickets for 41 runs off eight overs, and struck 20 quickfire runs, was named the man of the match.

Collage Group won the toss and put Rajdhani Sports into bat. The Rajdhani batsmen found the going tough against the searing medium-pace attack of former India player Sanjeev Sharma, who took four wickets, and T Anand and the wily spin bowling of Mahesh Bhatti and Sachin Chaudhary. Sanjeev’s four wickets cost only 33 runs while the others claimed two scalps each.

Parmod Bhatti (39, 3x4, 55b) and Sonu Vaid (51, 6x4, 60b) tried to flog the Collage Group bowling, but with limited success as Rajdhani Sports folded up for 170 in 36 overs. At one stage Rajdhani Sports lost five wickets for 68 runs in 15 overs.

Though Collage Group made an inappropriate beginning, losing the wickets of Sachiin Khurana (7) and Rajiv Vohr (16) with only 28 runs on the board, Mayank Tilhan (67, 6x4, 1x6) and Manish Jolly (49, 4x4) put on 115 runs for the third wicket in 29 overs. But after their exit, Collage Group plunged into deeper trouble when they lost the next seven wickets for just 20 runs, and needed 24 runs from the last three overs for victory. They required ten runs in the final over, and Sachin Chaudhary rose to the occasion admirably by blasting one six and a boundary in five balls. He remained not out on 20, which came off nine balls with two fours and one six.

Scores: Rajdhani Sports: 170 all out in 36 overs (Joginder Sharma 16, Sonu Vaid 51, Ravi Yadav 12, Parmod Bhatti 39, Jonginder Singh 15, T Anand 2 for 15, Sanjeev Sharma 4 for 33, Mahesh Bhatti 2 for 28, Sachin Chaudhary 2 for 41).

Collage Group: 174 for 9 in 39.5 overs (Rajeev Vohra 16, Mayank Tilhan 67, Manish Jolly 49, Sachin Chaudhary 20 n o, Joginder Sharma 3 for 28, Joginder Singh 3 for 29, Sonu Vaid 2 for 26).

Sunday’s fixture: Shastri Club vs Young Friends — Khalsa College ground.