The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

Legal rights of mentally ill discussed
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, October 6
As part of the Mental Health Week, the Psychiatry Department of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, organised a meeting with families of chronic mentally ill patients to discuss aspects of legal rights and issues.

The head of the department, Dr Chavan, apprised the families of different rights of mentally ill persons. He asserted that mentally ill persons could not be locked, isolated and tortured, and had right to treatment.

If a person developed mental illness during service, he could not be suspended or terminated and may be allotted different work with protection of his salary under the Persons with Disability Act (PDA-1995), he said.

He added that no legal proceedings could be initiated against a mentally ill person. Only qualified professional should treat the mentally ill persons and the Supreme Court had directed all state governments to close down the shops of quacks and faith healers.

He said it was the responsibility of the local station house officer to take the wandering mentally ill into custody and produce them before the magistrate within 24 hours.

On October 9, children with emotional and behavioural problems would be examined and a panel discussion would be held in Dadu Majra.

Medical education programme
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, October 6
“Malaria, kala-azar, hydatidosis, neurocysticercosis, filariasis and intestinal worm infestation caused by parasites still continue to contribute to the high morbidity and mortality rates in the country”, said experts attending a medical education programme-cum-workshop on ‘’An update on diagnostic techniques for parasitic diseases’’ inaugurated today. It is being organised by the Department of Parasitology at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research.

They added that the problem was compounded with the advent of HIV (I) AIDS. An early diagnosis followed by prompt treatment was the need of the hour. The advances in the serological and molecular biological techniques have revolutionised the laboratory diagnosis, they asserted.

The workshop was inaugurated by Director General of ICMR and Institute Director Professor N.K.Ganguly. Addressing a gathering, Dr Ganguly emphasised the magnitude of parasitic diseases in this country and the need for establishing the latest diagnostic techniques in medical colleges.

SPORTS

Sonia, Rakshita qualify for AITA main draw
Tribune Reporters

Chandigarh, October 6
Sonia Sharma and Rakshita, local players in the under-18 girls’ section, made it to the main draw of the AITA Championship Series Tennis Tournament, the qualifying rounds of which began here today at the Sector 10 tennis stadium. Anmol Singh Ladhar sailed into the next round in the under-14 boys’ section, along with Rohan Bhandari in the under-18 boys’ section.

The results: boys (under-14, first round): Anmol Singh Ladhar (Chd) b Arvinder Pal Singh (Chd) 6-3, 6-4; Rishi Rajpal (Delhi) b Sanjay Verma (Chd), 6-0, 6-1; Chandam Shoulin (Delhi) b Saneesh Mani Mishra (UP), 6-0, 6-1; Amit Chauhan (Chd) b Dev Karan Singh (Delhi), 6-0, 6-3.

Boys (under-18, first round): Acroprovo Rakshit (WB) b Bibaswan Deb (WB), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2; Tanuj Keswani (Delhi) b Rohit Sharma (Chd), 7-6(5), 6-4; Yogesh Phogat (Hry) b Rupinder Singh (Chd), 6-3, 6-2; Rahul Jain (Delhi) b Harshit Gupta (Hry), 6-1, 6-3; Rohan Bhandari (Chd) b Ravneet Singh Saini (Chd), 6-1, 6-3; Chandam Shoulin (Delhi) b Soumit Dey (WB), 6-1, 6-1; Pushpinder Purohit (Guj) b Arun Selwal (Kar), 6-1, 6-2; Rishu Yadav (Hry) b Gursimran Brar (Chd), 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-4.

Girls (under-18, final qualifying round): Sonia Sharma (Chd) b Renuka Keswani (Delhi), 6-7(4), 6-2, 7-5; Monika Menon (Delhi) b Disha Saigal (Delhi), 6-2, 6-3; Rakshita (Chd) b Hena Kumar Sokhna (Delhi), 6-3, 6-4.

AITA series

PATIALA: The AITA Talent Series Tournament for boys (under-14), being organised by the Patiala District Tennis Association, commenced at the NIS courts here today.

The results: (all preliminary rounds): Brijpal Randhawa (Chandigarh) beat Aftab Singh (Punjab), 8-3; Karamvir Singh (Chandigarh) beat Akshit Bhatia (Chandigarh), 8-7; Akshay Chopra (Chandigarh) walk over Nishant Sood (Chandigarh); Gurvarinder Singh (Chandigarh) beat Amanjit Singh (Punjab), 8-1; Jivtesh Singh (Chandigarh) beat Sunir Verma (Punjab), 8-0; Gurinder Singh (Punjab) beat Gauravjot Singh (Punjab), 8-0; Noormohan Thousif (Tamil Nadu) beat Tajeswar Singh (Punjab), 8-6; Gagandeep Singh Gill (Punjab) beat Harmanjot (Punjab), 8-3; Samir Bharghav (Chandigarh) beat Artim (Punjab), 8-0; Mandeep Singh Gill (Chandigarh) beat Jagdeep Singh (Punjab), 8-1; and Nitin (Chandigarh) beat Satyam (Punjab), 8-3.

Hockey trials

Trials to select the junior Patiala Union Hockey Association team will be held at the NIS Astro turf on October 13 and 14.

This was stated by Prof Gursewak Singh, secretary-general of the PEPSU Hockey Association, in a press note here on Monday. The selected team would take part in the Junior National Hockey Championship to be held at Raipur (Chhattisgarh) from October 27 to November 7.

Only those players who were born on or after January 1, 1983, would be eligible to take part in the trials. The probables would attend a preparatory camp during which final selection of the team would be made.

Sports festival

SAS Nagar: A three-day all-India sports festival conducted by the All-India Non-Teaching Employees Federation in memory of Kalpana Chawla concluded at Panjab University here yesterday.

According to a press note issued by the Punjab School Education Board here today, employees of more than 20 school boards and universities participated in the festival. Employees of the PSEB got distinction in athletics. Among those who won various events included Nirdosh Sharma, Hemant Bala, Jagbir Kaur, Jasbir Kaur, Neeru Sharma, Harpreet Kaur and Gurcharan Kaur Gill.

Saboo Award for city sports teacher
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, October 6
Satinder Walia, a sports teacher with St Stephen’s School, Sector 45, has been chosen for the Tara Chand Saboo Excellence Award for the Sports Teacher - 2003. Satinder received this information from the chairman, Jan Seva Trust, Mr R.K. Saboo.

The jury that chose Ms Walia for the award consisted of eminent personalities, including Justice N.N. Goswamy (retd), Mr H.K. Dua, Editor-in-Chief, The Tribune, Dr T.N. Kapoor, former Vice-Chancellor, Panjab University, and Dr P.S. Chari, Surgeon.

The award, which comprises a trophy, a citation and Rs 20,000, will be given on October 10 at the CII Convention Centre, Sector 31. Justice O.P. Verma (retd), Governor, Punjab, will be the chief guest.

Popularly known as ‘Ladi’ among the hockey fraternity, Satinder (50) had been an international hockey player of repute. Ms Walia started representing Punjab in the year 1967. Then she shifted to Chandigarh and played for it in the nationals. In 1973, she again migrated to Punjab and began representing Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, in the Inter-University Hockey Meet.

In 1976, she captained the combined universities hockey team in the Senior National Women’s Hockey Championship. In 1971, she represented India in the International Women Hockey Meet held in New Zealand. In 1975, she took part in the World Women Hockey Championship in Scotland. She also represented Indian veteran women hockey team in Delhi in 1987.

Later, she joined St Stephen’s School in 1993 as hockey coach-cum-Punjabi teacher. The school team won the under-14 hockey matches in the inter-school tournaments for three consecutive years, 1999 to 2001, under her supervision.

She said her school Principal, Mr Harold Arver, had great love for sports and had asked her to prepare girls’ hockey team capable of winning laurels at the state and national level. She said now hockey was gaining popularity among parents and children. She hoped that more and more children would take to hockey in future.