HEALTH

India has 1 lakh haemophiliacs
Monica Sharma

Chandigarh: Though genetic, haemophilia continues to be a royal disease as far as the treatment is concerned — at least this is what the doctors attending an open clinic organised by the Haemophiliac Welfare Society of Chandigarh had to say. The medicines still have to be imported, the doctors reveal. There is no permanent cure or treatment available for the malady.

Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, they say, haemophilia is a genetic disorder leading to abnormal bleeding from gums and joints. “Factors VIII or IX are not present in the haemophiliac patients. Due to this deficiency, the bleeding do not stop.”

The doctors add that the patients, having less than 1 per cent of factor VIII and IX, suffer from spontaneous bleeding. In case the factor is between one to 5 per cent, the bleeding does not stop after a minor accident or trauma. Patients having factor level above five come to know of the disease during severe trauma or surgery. About 50 to 60 per cent patients approach the doctors after crossing the age of 16. By that time, the problem gets worse. As such, early diagnosis is essential.

According to figures released by the World Health Organisation, there are 1 lakh patients in India. At least, 8000 are registered with the society. The Haemophiliac Welfare Society is affiliated with the Haemophiliac Federation of India, which in turn is affiliated with the World Haemophiliac Society. There are total 62 chapters in the country.

Giving details, a society member says: “Even though we provide the injections at half the price, the affected persons still find it difficult to afford the treatment. Fresh frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate are being offered free of cost at the PGI.”

The doctors regret that in India there was still no awareness about the medicine. Facilities should be provided to the patients as soon as possible. They should be granted travel concession like cancer patients.

The Society Chairman-cum-Emeritus Professor of Transfusion Medicine, Dr J.G. Jolly added, “It is essential to provide necessary back-up support to the affected parents for enabling them to cope up with tremendous psychological stress they undergo from the day their child is diagnosed as haemophiliac’’.

Donating blood is passion for them
Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 1
It was more than four decades ago that Harkiran, a blue baby born to the Grewal couple survived, only because somebody came forward to donate blood. Today, the lady, along with her two sons does not miss her date with the Chandigarh Blood Bank Society at the PGI every three months, to repay the debt she owes to the man because of whom she survived.

Being the lone lady in the city who has crossed the mark of donating blood more than 50 times, Mrs Harkiran Kaur, was honoured at the annual award giving function, organised by the Chandigarh Blood Bank Society at Panjab University. More than 800 blood donors, many of them having donated blood close to 100 times were honoured at a function, held annually.

“I just know that it was some Mr Patel, to whom I owe my life as he donated blood to save me and since then my entire family has been a regular blood donor,” she disclosed. Her father, Mr P.S. Grewal, has donated blood 65 times, and following their mother’s foot steps, her sons Virender and Vishal Bali, have joined the noble cause on more than 12 occasions.

Since the passion for donating blood, to save others life runs in the family, it is not just Mrs Harkiran but even her relatives and friends, who on their own go to the PGI to donate blood every three months.” It is only for a brief period of three years when I was abroad that I could not donate blood,” she laments.

Echoing similar sentiments is Mr Charanjeet Singh whose name is synonymous with blood donation movement as his name figures prominently in the list of national blood donors, as he has touched the mark of 142 donations. “It was during the Indo-Pakistan war in 1971 that I started donating blood for the forces and since then I have stuck to it religiously,” said Mr Singh.

He is of the strong opinion that if defence personnel can be decorated with gallantry awards for their valour, why should social workers and blood donors not be recognised for the valuable service. His mission would be achieved the day our country achieves 100 per cent voluntary blood donation.

The City Beautiful, with its record of excellent blood donation movement, is amongst the top five in the country as far as voluntary donation is concerned. Keeping the tradition alive are committed youngsters like Shivaani Gupta, a student of Punjab Engineering College, who has donated blood seven times. “The moment I realise that it is three months since I donated blood last, I go to the PGI on my own but what concerns me is the misconception that people have that donating blood, can make you sick,” she opines. The number of people who donate blood in the city is constantly on the rise. It is not just the regular blood donors but also institutions who organise camps regularly, who were honoured at the function.

Verma lauds residents for donating blood
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 1
Stressing the need for achieving total voluntary blood donation in the country, Punjab Governor and UT Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma (retd), today lauded the city residents for promoting blood donation culture in a big way.

Speaking at the annual awards function of the Blood Bank Society, Chandigarh, today, he said donating blood was the most noble service one could do as at times precious lives are lost due to want of blood. “It is the biggest service that one can render and we need to work towards achieving the target of 100 per cent donation,” he said.

The society was established at the PGI in 1964, as a voluntary non-profit organisation. It is due to the relentless efforts of members of society along with dedicated workers that the position as far as voluntary blood donation is concerned is quite satisfactory in the city.

Mrs Kanta Saroop Krishen, honorary secretary of the society, said the work at the new state-of-the-art Blood Resource Centre, being set up in association with the Rotary Club, Chandigarh, was progressing well. Once operational, the blood resource centre will revolutionalise the blood services in North India with 24 hour access for the public.

More than 800 donors and organisations who hold blood donation camps were honoured on the occasion.

Symposium on anatomy
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 1
A symposium to discuss the latest advances in the field of anatomy will be organised by the Anatomy Department at the PGI on October 4.

More than 80 delegates from neighbouring states will attend the symposium-cum-CME. The focus areas during the symposium shall be bio-medical imaging, confocal microscopy, functional genomics, stem cell plasticity and its therapeutic potential and molecular genetics of a disease.

The first annual meeting of the North India Anatomists Federation will be held on October 5.

SPORTS

Garhwal club win by 9 runs
Tribune Reporters

Chandigarh, October 1
A half-century by Nikhil (54) and an all-round performance by Bunty (38 runs and 3 for 20) enabled Garhwal CC to beat Danger XI by nine runs in the third knockout cricket tournament being organised by the Punjab Secretariat Cricket Club at Sector 28 ground here today.

Nikhil hit 54 runs off 48 balls and Bunty scored 38 runs Garhwal club made 164 runs in 20 overs.

In reply, Danger CC were all out for 155 runs in 19.5 overs Patitosh made a superb 105 in 67 balls, including four sixes and 12 hours.

In the second match, J.J. Sports beat Youth XI by six wickets.

Cycle polo teams

The senior (men) and sub-junior cycle polo teams left the city today to participate in the 26th senior national cycle polo championship and the 20th sub-junior national polo championship to be held at Ernakulam (Kerala) from October 6 to 12.

The teams (Seniors): Vijay Jaiswal, Sushil Kumar, Prakash, Ajay, Varun and Vishal; Kasturi Lal (manager).

Sub-juniors: Gaurav, Ajay Oswal, Rohit, Himanshu, Surjit and Anuj Dogra; Navin Pun (manager). Vijay Jaiswal is the coach of the teams.

Inter-school cricket

The annual inter-school cricket tournament for the Shivalik Trophy will be organised by the UT Cricket Association in the Cricket Stadium, Sector 16, and DAV Secondary School, Sector 8, from October 8. A total of 28 teams from various government and private schools will participate in the meet.

The tournament will be on a knockout-cum-league basis. The schedule of the trournament will be finalised at 6.30 p.m. on October 3 in the association’s office at the cricket stadium.

Mini-marathon

A mini-marathon will be organised at the No. 3 Base Repair (3BRD) as part of the IAF Mahotasav 2003 celebrations tomorrow at 7.30 a.m. The marathon will be flagged off from the office of the Air Force Wives Welfare Association (Local), shopping complex, Sector 31-D, Chandigarh.

Squash tourney

Fourty players participated in a squash tournament organised by the Western Command, the finals of which were held at Chandimandir last evening. The winners and runners-up, respectively, in different categories were:

Officers over 35 years : Maj-Gen O.P. Nandrajog; Lieut-Cdr R. Berry.

Officers under 35 years : Capt D.S Verma; Major R.D. Singh.

Boys 18-25 years : Sanmeet Grewal; Vikram Vashisht.

Boys under 18 years : Hrishik Agrawal; Sahil Sharma.

The Chief of Staff, Western Command, Lieut-Gen P.K. Grover gave away the prizes.

Sec 44 school in football championship semi-finals

Sanjay Public School, Sector 44, qualified for the semi-final on the second day of Chandigarh sub-junior football championship for Sanjay Trophy being played at Football Stadium in Sector 17.

In the second match, DAV Senior Secondary School in Sector 8 beat St Kabir School in Sector 26 by 3-0 goals in a well-contested match.

Sanjay Public School beat Government Model Senior Secondary School in Sector 10 by five goals in an one-sided match. Sushil scored the first goal for Sanjay Public School, Ajay scored the second goal. The half time score was 3-0 in favour of Sanjay Public School.

First semi finals will be held between Sanjay Public School and Shivalik Public School in Sector 41. Second semi final will be played between DAV Senior Secondary School in Sector 8 and St Stephens School in Sector 45.

Cricket tourney

Inde Dutch Systems (Infotech), Blue Star XI, India Club, Chandigarh, and Mount Cable Industries, Chandigarh, will take part in the inter-institutional cup league cricket tournament being organised by the Panchkula Cricket Association at the Cricket Stadium, Sector-3, Panchkula, tomorrow.

Kharab captain of college cricket team

Surender Kharab has been selected as the Captain of 16-member cricket team of Government College, Panchkula. The team has been selected at a meeting presided over by the cricket in charge, Professor Rajeev Chaudhary and Professor Dahiya.

Other members of the team include Kamal Sharma, Vinay, Kapil Mathuria, Mahabir, Pradeep, Rajinder, Shivraj, Ankush, Abhey, Ranbir, Amit Bholla, Manoj, Charan Sushil and Raman Jinki.

Ball badminton meet

St Joseph’s Senior Secondary School in Sector 44 won the UT Inter School Ball Badminton under 14 tournament played at the school. It was organised by UT Education Department. In the finals girls category, St Josephs School beat Government High School of Khuda Lahora by 40-20 and 40-21.

Lawn tennis body to held trials

The Punjab State Lawn Tennis Association will conduct trials to select boys and girls team for the First National Youth Games 2003 being organised under the aegis of the Indian Olympic Association at Bangalore from January 4 to January 11 next year. Only those players born after January 11,1985 are eligible to participate. Players are required to furnish proof of date of birth along with introductory letter from district tennis associations and sports bodies affiliated to Punjab State Lawn Tennis Association. Trials will commence at the Punjab State Lawn Tennis Associations’ Maharaja Ranjeet Singh Tennis Complex, Ram Bagh, in Amritsar on October 17 at 3 p.m.

PATIALA

Squash court inaugurated

A squash court was inaugurated by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Tejveer Singh, at Public College, Samana, near here today.

The DC, who is the chairman of the management committee of the college, also presided over a blood donation camp organised by the NSS unit of the college in which 90 students donated blood while more than 200 others got their blood tested. Mr Gurpal Singh Chahal, Subdivisional Magistrate was also present on the occasion.