HEALTH

Rheumatic heart diseases: PGI developing vaccine
Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh July 6
With more than two million patients suffering from rheumatic heart diseases (RHD) in India, PGI’s Cardiology Department is working towards developing a vaccine with German collaboration.

Though the prevalence of RHD has declined in the West in India it continues to be a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. With limited cardiac surgery facilities and poor economic status of patients, only a small percentage of people can afford sophisticated procedures.

To assess the burden of rheumatic and congenital heart diseases and work towards developing a vaccine, a project is being run in 121 villages of Raipur Rani block of Panchkula having a population of 1.14 lakh.

The project is being funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research and the German Institute of Microbiology and Vaccine Research. The community-based project is being jointly undertaken by the Cardiology and Community Medicine Departments of the PGI.

“We have already tested the toxicity of the vaccine on mice but in the absence of experimental model in animals, we are taking cell lines from RHD patients and collecting pig valves from butchers, so that animal trials can be held before the vaccine can be used on humans,” informed Dr Anil Grover, head of the Cardiology Department at the PGI.

He added that at present only three countries, Australia, Germany and the USA, were working towards developing a vaccine for RHD. “The younger age of onset of RHD is being seen in India and as such the problem in juveniles is more severe and a rapidly progressive disease,” remarked Dr Grover.

With only 40 paediatric cardiac centres in the country, the mortality rate amongst children born with congenital heart disease (CHD), in India is very high. “Out of a total of 50,000 children of CHD requiring surgery every year, less than 1,000 are in a position to afford it in India,” informed Dr Grover, highlighting the gravity of the situation. He added that early detection of the heart disease and better awareness of known antenatal risk factors could reduce its incidence.

Under the project in Raipur Rani block, a total of 44,000 children in the 5 to 15 years age group were screened . Doctors feel till advances in biogenics can develop a vaccine for RHD, establishment of heart disease clinics by trained specialists can reduce morbidity.

Dr Grover said ignorance hampering early detection was one of the main reason for rheumatic fever inevitably damaging the heart, thereby crippling the patient for life. The problem generally begins in childhood between 5 to 15 years of age and progresses thereafter.

Symptoms like fever, joint pain or swelling, breathlessness and fatigue, involuntary movements are indicative of rheumatic fever. Patients with such symptoms need to be promptly referred for diagnosis and longterm management, which controls the disease by limiting heart damage.

The Cardiology Department holds monthly rural cardiology clinics in Raipur Rani and a separate paediatric cardiac clinic at its OPD in the PGI.

1,000 examined during heart procedure week
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, July 6
The heart procedure week, organised by Fortis Heart Institute and Multi-Speciality Hospital as a part of its second anniversary celebrations, received good response with more than 1000 persons visiting the hospital during the week.

Cardiac specialists from across the country interacted with the people and offered free consultation. All cardiac procedures, including angiography, angioplasty surgery and valve repair (CABG) packages, were available at special discounted rate for patients.

The month-long Fortis family health utsav includes six lectures for the general public on the prevention of diseases prevalent in the region, six seminars for doctors and special multi-speciality health camps offering free consultation in various specialities, including paediatrics, pulmonology, rheumatology, psychiatry, nephrology, health packages, gastroentrology, dermatology, endocrinology, orthopaedics, gynaecology, ophthalmology and neurology.

Commenting on the high turnout during the week, Dr Achintya Moulick, Chairman of the hospital, said, “Since inception, it has been our endeavour to uplift the health standards of the people by providing world-class treatment and patient centric care. Our awareness camps, preventive health management programmes, subsidised treatments, medical seminars and public lectures are a part of this objective. The success of this camp further reaffirms our belief to continue working in this direction”.

No fresh case of cholera
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 6
The UT health department heaved a sigh of relief as no fresh case of cholera was reported from the city today.

A team of health officials, headed by Director, Health Services, Dr C.P. Bansal, visited Mauli Jagran from where two cases of cholera have been reported so far. Fresh water samples have been collected and chlorine tablets distributed among the public.

Meanwhile, the 22-year-old cholera patient from Mauli Jagran, Reeta, was today shifted to the general ward from the communicable diseases ward. Most of the patients admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital have been discharged.

SPORTS

IS Deol Memorial Cricket meet
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, July 6
Samsung XI and Boys Cricket Club surged ahead by defeating their respective rivals, Pragati XI and HCC XI, by 140 runs and five wickets in the First Lt-Col IS Deol Memorial Cricket Tournament played at Cricket Stadium, Sector 16, here today. Yesterday, the matches could not be held due to rain.

Brief scores: Samsung XI: 242 runs for three in 20 overs (Vineet Khosla 144, Harminder 64).

Pragati XI: 102 runs for five in 20 overs (Sujeet 21, Harry 27, Vineet Jain 2 for 13, Deepak 2 for 28).

HCC XI: 97 runs all out in 17.2 overs (Rakesh Kumar 24, Deepak 20, Deepak 2 for nine, Sunil 2 for 15).

Boys CC: 99 runs for five in 13.2 overs (Hemant 37, Subedar 32, Navdeep 3 for 23).

Cricket tournament

Satluj Coaching Centre, Panchkula, outplayed Bhavan Vidyalya, Sector 15, Panchkula, by nine wickets in the opening tie of the Second Satluj Cricket Tournament in the under-14 section played at the grounds of Satluj Public School, Sector 4, Panchkula, today.

In the second tie, Sector 16 Stadium defeated Mohali Cricket Association by eight wickets.

Brief scores: BV-Pkl: 132 runs for six (Mohit 48, Rahul 32, Nitish 2 for 18, Lovely Thakur 2 for 21).

Satluj CC: 134 runs for one in 20.4 overs (Nitish Bhardwaj 67 n.o., Rohit Singh 35).

Mohali CC: 112 runs for six (Rohit 34, Harman 31, Saurav Kumar 3 for 21). Cricket stadium, Sector 16: 114 runs for two (Saurav Kumar 63).

Basketball tourney

New Public School, Sector 18, will conduct the CBSE Cluster XI (Chandigarh, Himachal, part of Punjab and Haryana) basketball tournament from September 27 to 29. According to Mr R.D. Singh, there are around 146 schools which falls in this cluster. He said that the last date for sending the entries for confirmation is August 10.