HEALTH

Command Hospital recognised for teaching courses
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 11
The Western Command Hospital at Chandi Mandir has been recognised by the Medical Council of India (MCI) for conducting regular postgraduate teaching courses in various specialities.

Stating this while delivering the keynote address at the two-day continuing medical education (CME) programme in pathology today, the Director-General, Armed Forces Hospital Services, Lieut-Gen J.R. Bhardwaj, said that the classes could begin in January if letter from the MCI in this regard arrives soon. He also called upon experts in pathology at various medical institutions to promote research and come up with work of high calibre.

The programme, being organised by the Command Hospital under the auspices of the MCI and the Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists (northwest chapter), has attracted 250 delegates from various medical institutes and colleges of the country.

The Chief of Staff, Western Command, Lieut-Gen P.K. Grover, in his inaugural address, said that such programmes helped medical experts to keep themselves abreast of latest developments in their disciplines. He hoped that the delegates would immensely benefit from the deliberations of the programme.

In his welcome address, the Hospital Commandant, Major-Gen B Sadananda stressed bringing down the cost of medicare in pathology to make it affordable to the poor. A souvenir was also released on the occasion by the Deputy Commandant of the hospital, Brig V.P. Pathania. An exhibition of pathological equipment was also put up.

The scientific session today included a histopathological quiz competition. Slide shows and seminars were presented on soft tissue tumours by Dr Anita Borges from Mumbai, on dermatopathology by Col J.S. Panaych, on pulmonary pathology by Dr Kusum Joshi and on haematology by Dr Gurjeevan Grewal.

Guest lectures on Dermal Leishmaniasis by Dr A.K. Mukherjee and on the art of writing scientific paper by Dr Harsh Mohan were appreciated.

Medicine update on pulmonary diseases today
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 11
Over 150 doctors from the region will be attending the annual pulmonary and critical care medicine update at the PGI here tomorrow which will focus on the clinical aspect of diseases like asthma, tuberculosis and other lung ailments.

“Though this is the 18th annual update we will be holding, but this time instead of focussing on one particular disease, we shall be discussing the clinical aspect of particular cases, handled by doctors,” explained Dr S.K. Jindal, head of the Pulmonary Medicine at the PGI.

He said individual cases will be discussed right from the symptoms the patient presented with, the diagnosis done, how effective it was and what could have been a better line of treatment.

Dr Jindal said cases where patients present with asthma-like symptoms including breathlessness but are not actually suffering from the disease will be discussed in detail. “Another focus area shall be the complications and reaction due to drugs in treatment of tuberculosis” he said.

A peculiar problem, a large number of patients were complaining of these days, is about interstial lung diseases. “More than 10 out of every 100 patients coming to the PGI chest clinic suffer from this problem, the symptoms of which includes breathlessness and dry cough,” informed Dr Jindal.

The problem is mostly in middle-aged people and if untreated, could lead to respiratory failure and death within four to five years.

SPORTS

City players rule the roost at AITA meet
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, October 11
City players romped home with all four titles at stake in the AITA Junior Talent Series Tennis Championship, which concluded today at the Sector 10 Tennis Stadium. Mr Rajan Kashyap, Chairman, Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association, gave away the prizes.

First it was Inayat Khosla, a trainee at the Total Tennis Academy, Sector 11, who silenced the challenge of fourth seed Garima Vatwani of Delhi in straight sets to bag the girls under-14 title. In the boys under-14 final, Vijayant Malik of Chandigarh ended the winning spree of Uday Karan Puniha by beating him in two sets, with first one going in for tie breaker.

In the girls under-18 final, unseeded Neha Singh proved too good for Delhi girl Neha Rana whom she trounced in two sets. In the under-18 boys section, second seed Jitin Bishnoi played a valiant game to down top seed Sanam Krishan Singh, also of Chandigarh in straight sets.

Results: (finals) Girls (under-14): Inayat Khosla (Chd) b Garima Vatwani (Dli) 6-4, 6-0; boys (under-14): Vijayant Malik (Chd) b Uday Karan Singh Puniha (Chd) 7-5, 6-1; girls (under-18): Neha Singh (Chd) b Neha Rana (Dli) 6-0, 6-1; and boys (under-18): Jitin Bishnoi (Chd) b Sanam K. Singh (Chd) 6-4, 6-1.

Athletics meets

The Amateur Athletic Association, Chandigarh, will hold the Chandigarh North District Athletics Meet on October 18 at the Sports Complex, Sector 7, and the Chandigarh South District Athletics Meet on October 19 at the Sports Complex, Sector 46. According to Mr Ravinder Chaudhary, secretary of the association, in view of above meets, the Chandigarh Athletics Championship for sub-juniors, juniors and seniors will now be held on November 4 and 5 at the Sector 7 Sports Complex.

PU campus win

Panjab University Campus, Chandigarh, clinched the PU Inter-college Softball (men) Championship for the year 2003-2004. SGGS College, Chandigarh, DAV College, Chandigarh, and Government College, Ludhiana, got second, third and fourth places respectively. In the PU Inter-college Zonal basketball meet (women), Government College For Girls, Sector 42, beat GAM College, Abohar, 49-42.

Cricket Academy

As many as 20 players have been shortlisted for the proposed Cricket Academy to be run by the UT Administration under the BCCI, which will start functioning from tomorrow at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium. The players are: Vishal Devraj, Raghav Sharma, Abhishek Ghai, Sandeep Bhattacharya, Himanshu, Amit Sonkar, Saurav, Rishab Chauhan, Abhijeet (WK), Kamaldeep (WK), Kshitij, Pankaj, Varun Kaushal, Kunal, Aditya Sood, Yudhishter, Amandeep, Chetan Raj, Subodh and Amit Saini. All the players have been directed to report at 4 pm at the above venue.

The team of Narinder Sharma and P.K. Singla won the first place in the sailing event in the UT Sports Department's Watersports tournament here today at the Sukhna Lake. Nidham Singh and Darshan Singh got second place while Gurjinder Singh and Ganesh Kumar was third. Mr S.M. Sharma, IG, Vigilance, Punjab, and president, Punjab Sailing Association, was the chief guest and gave away the prizes to the winners.

Golf meet

G.S. Hira clinched the title in the gents’ category in an 18-hole stableford golf tournament held at Forest Hill Golf and Country Club, near Chandigarh, this afternoon. Sukhbir Singh finished runner-up.

Members of the Chandigarh Golf Association and the Chandigarh Golf Range were special invitees to the tournament. Young golfers were from Carmel Convent, St John’s School and Vivek High School.

The boys’ category was won by Arsh with Dhruv Ghai finishing runner-up. Mani Chandra won the title in the girls’ category. Eakamjit finished second.

G.S. Hira hit the longest drive (270 yards) and nearest to the pin was S.S. Grewal.

Col B.S. Sandhu, CMD, WWICS Resorts Limited, gave away prizes.