HIV cases on the rise in Faridabad
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, December 3
Even as the number of persons coming for HIV tests has been below the expectations of the district health authorities, the number of HIV positive cases detected has gone up in the past few years. The District Health Department was able to detect about 15 HIV positive cases during the past three years. Of these, nine cases were detected between April and November this year after 100 persons approached the district AIDS Counselling Centre at the Bhadshah Khan Civil Hospital here for voluntary blood test.

According to the CMO, Dr S.P.S. Bhatia, 11 persons were found HIV positive this year. He said only four cases were detected as positive in the year 2002 and 2001 respectively. He said the District Health Department had record of only 15 HIV positive cases so far.

He also said four of the cases were detected from amongst the blood donors at various camps.

There were two counselling centres available here where services and medicines were given free of cost, he said.

However, other experts disagree with the number of HIV positive cases detected in a town with a population of over 14 lakh.

According to a social activist based here, the number of HIV positive cases in a town like Faridabad could be well in four figures. However, social stigma and inadequate motivation and awareness kept them away from the counselling centres and suitable treatment.

He said misconceptions regarding the disease needed to be erased from the minds of the people. It may be recalled that some rallies were held by local authorities to observe the ‘World Aids Day’ yesterday.

Meanwhile, it is reported that the Health Department has started the distribution of about 4.5 lakh condoms to various health centres in the district.

New cure for heavy periods
Tribune News Service

Panipat, December 3
With the commissioning of the state-of-the-art thermachoice uterine balloon therapy (UBT) system at the local DN Hospital, thousands of women suffering from heavy periods can have a sigh of relief.

Dr Davinder Batra and Dr Neeru Batra of DN Hospital told NCR Tribune there was no need for women to go in for major surgeries like hysterectomy (uterus removal) as the new technique was a simple 30-minute procedure which required no stay in the hospital.

Heavy periods is a cause of concern for women as it leads to significant blood loss and anaemia. Excessive bleeding is on account of fibroids in the uterus or dysfunction uterine bleeding (DUB). Drugs, which provide only temporary relief, are not much effective for such patients. About 20 per cent women suffer from this disease. In the case of UBT, the inner lining of the uterus, which is the cause of excessive bleeding, is ablated.

Thus excessive periods are controlled. Patients returns to normal menses after the UBT, Dr Neeru Batra said, adding that this way major surgery like the removal of uterus was avoided.

The other advantages of the technique are that there is no pain and scars, Dr Davinder Batra said.

On the success rate of the therapy, the doctors claimed the procedure was successful in over 95 per cent patients. So far, more than three lakh patients had been treated the world over through UBT.

The treatment was specially useful for the patients suffering from hypertension, diabetes and a heart problem since performing major surgery on them became difficult.

However, thermachoice procedure should not be used if one wants to become pregnant in the future.

Pregnancy after the thermachoice may be risky for the mother and the baby because the endometrial lining of the uterus has been removed, Dr Neeru Batra added.

Noida hospital gets gastro-science institute

Noida, December 3
To mark its Foundation Day today, Kailash Hospital, Noida, added the Institute of Gastro-Science under Dr Ajay K. Sachdev, a renowned gastro-intestinal surgeon with over 18 years’ experience. The institute was inaugurated by chief guest Brijesh Kumar, Chairman of the Noida and Greater Noida Authorities.

Among the unique facilities provided by the hospital are issuance of Kailash privilege cards to senior citizens, physically handicapped and freedom fighters, defence personnel, etc, which entitle them to certain privileges, including concessional treatment. The hospital has also launched collection of lab samples from patients’ homes and delivery of reports at nominal charges. OC

SPORTS

Arjun Bahel stars for Chandigarh school
Our Sports Reporter

National: 204 for 9 in 30 overs (Madan 49, Sanjeev 48, Vijay 35, Bashant 2 for 37, Ramesh Kaushal 2 for 54, Vijay 1 for 18).

Hero Honda ride ahead

Hero Honda defeated Haryana by 157 runs in the DG Phadkar Memorial Cricket Tournament at the Teri Oval.

Scores: Hero Honda: 226 for 4 in 25 overs (Kiran 61 n o, Khazan Singh 58, Raghuveer Singh 29). Haryana: 69 in 21.2 overs (Puneet 18, Bijoy 15, Satish Sharma 4 for 11, Kiran 3 for 3). Kiran was named the man of the match.

Karan Harit shines with ball in Delhi’s victory
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, December 3
A devastating bowling display of 5 for 30 by left-arm spinner Karan Harit helped Delhi enforce the follow on Jammu and Kashmir in the Vijay Merchant Trophy Under-17 Cricket Tournament held at the Harbaksh Singh Stadium from November 30 to December 2.

Delhi recorded a ten-wicket victory and collected five points.

Scores: Delhi (1st innings): 254 all out in 82.1 overs (Robin Bisht 48, Syra Vardhan Azad 40, Mayank Sidana 39, Karan Harit 21, Iandev Singh 4 for 52, Shoukat Ahmed Seikh 3 for 70).

Jammu and Kashmir (1st innings): 102 all out in 72.3 overs (Iandev Singh 27, Karan Harit 5 for 30).

Second innings: 163 all out in 92 overs (Aditya Aima 36, Raman Sachdeva 4 for 37, Karan Harit 1 for 38). Delhi (2nd innings): 12 for no loss in 1.5 overs.

Delhi Audit beat National Stadium

Delhi Audit defeated National Stadium Coaching Centre by 61 runs in a DDCA A-I Division League at the Yamuna Sports Complex ground.

Scores: Delhi Audit: 169 for 8 in 35 overs (Chander Sekhar 68, Raju Sharma 31, Rameez Niyamat 3 for 17). National Stadium Coaching Centre: 108 all out in 29.5 overs (Rameez Niyamat 44, Pankaj Joshi 4 for 22, K S Rana 3 for 14, Raju Sharma 2 for 14).

Raghubir Willowers beat Ravi Brothers by 14 runs in an A-II Division match at the YSC II ground.

Scores: Raghubir Willowers: 178 all out in 36.4 overs (V Sahani 51, Ramesh Badola 42, Mohit Kaushal 5 for 26). Ravi Brothers: 164 all out in 37.2 overs (Saurabh Tiwari 36, Prabhu Mehto 2 for 10, Ashiq Khan 2 for 30).

Orissa school on a scoring spree
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, December 3
Town High School, Sundargarh (Orissa) scored at will to trounce Vivekanand Vidyapeeth, Bustar (Chattisgarh) 4-1 in a Group VII match of the Subroto Mukherjee Cup Football Tournament at the Ambedkar Stadium on Wednesday. Avandi Naik opened the account in the very first minute while Ashok Lakra added the second goal in the 12th minute. Samra Foram then scored a brace of goals in the 21st and 55th minutes to complete the tally.

Soma Ram scored the consolation goal for Chattisgarh in the 24th minute.

In a Group VI match, Delhi’s Mamta Modern School, Vikaspuri, defeated Goda Varma Raja Sports School, Thiruvanathapuram (Kerala) by a lone goal, but the victory margin was too slender to help them progress further in the tournament. They needed to score a victory by at least five goals to qualify for the quarter-final.

But the Kerala boys put up a spirited performance to restrict Mamta to just a lone-goal victory. In fact, G V Raja should have shared points, but Justin Stephen’s shot rebounded off the cross bar.

Kabiraj Tilla High School, Badharghat (Tripura), who defeated G V Raja by a big margin of 4-0 on Tuesday, qualified for the quarter-final.

Thursday’s fixtures: Vivekanand Vidyapeeth, Bustar vs Govt High School, Kokrajhar (Assam) (9 a m); Town High School vs Govt. Anushuit Janjati Awasiya School, Bihar (10.30 am); Sanjay Public School, Chandigarh vs St. Ignatious School, Gumla (2 pm); SAI, Kolkata vs Chopasni School, Jodhpur (3.30 pm)- Ambedkar Stadium.

India-Pakistan goodwill cricket series
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, December 3
Board for Veteran Cricket in India (BVCI) will organise a ‘Goodwill Cricket Series’ between the senior teams of India and Pakistan, after a gap of 12 years.

BVCI president Chetan Chauhan said in Delhi on Wednesday that the Government has accorded permission to hold the series, which will include three one-day matches, to be played from December 20 to 25 at Jalandhar, Dehradun and Agra.

The last such series was played in India in 1990-91 and the Pakistan team had comprised of Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Sadiq Mohamad and Haroon Rashid. The Indian team included stalwarts like Bishan Singh Bedi, Chetan Chauhan, Dilip Vengsarkar, Kirmani and Madan Lal.

Ankit Kaiyastha helps Columba’s enter final
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, December 3
An outstanding all-round display by Ankit Kaiyastha, who captured three wickets for 28 runs and then cracked an unbeaten 80, helped St. Columba’s School defeat Air Force Bal Bharati School by eight wickets and entered the final of the Frank Anthony Inter-School Cricket Tournament at the Frank Anthony school ground.

Scores: Air Force Bal Bharati: 251 for 9 in 35 overs (Rohan Sahdev 102, Atrey Rajgopal 57, Ankit Kaiyastha 3 for 28, Hammad Ahmad 2 for 46).

St. Columba’s: 252 for 2 in 26 overs (Ankit Kaiyastha 80 n o, Joel Trinidad 73, Vatsal Kumar 45).