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AIDS tele-counsellors get 356 calls in three months Chandigarh, January 15 An analysis of the records of calls obtained from the local chapter of Servants of People's Society (SOPS), which is executing the project funded by the State AIDS Control Society, UT, is revealing. Out of 356 calls made on the free telephone lines, 345 were by males, the rest 11 were by females. Significantly, 80 per cent callers used Hindi. About 63 callers remained in constant touch with counsellors, asking them how they could care for themselves. Out of total enquiries made over the past three months, the majority centred around the route of infection. Informed SOPS counsellors, who have been involved with the project since September 5, 2003, when additional telephone lines were installed at Lajpat Rai Bhavan, Sector 15, here to help people with online AIDS counselling, “Most of the people are still in the dark over the manner in which the virus spreads. The figures tell us that 51 callers had no clue to how the disease was caused.” A look at the records of calls and their nature confirms that people across the region are confused over the extent of facilities available to conduct HIV/AIDS tests. Out of the 356 calls, 36 were made to find out what kind of testing facilities are available and where. About 14 callers wanted to get details of medical and personal care available for the AIDS infected persons. HIV/AIDS tests are being conducted in GMCH, Sector 32, General Hospital, Sector 16 and the PGI. Also, a community care centre project for AIDS patients is pending in Chandigarh. Dr N.M. Sharma, project director, admitted that people were keen to know where testing facilities were available. “This means the awareness is rising. Earlier we had a project of interactive voice response system in which the caller's question was recorded and the answer was sent back in a recorded format. But we realised we needed to counsel people online. In fact, the callers are free to use interactive voice response system or tele-counselling, as suits them. Our tele-counselling project is picking up very fast. We get many enquiries for locations of clinics that test sexually transmitted diseases, as also blood.” Breaking taboos, people are now posing questions never posed earlier. A counsellor informed that people called repeatedly to confirm if physical relationship caused AIDS. “There were 31 persons who asked if the infections spread due to masturbation, 21 asked if multiple partnership was the cause, 13 enquired if oral sex was the reason. About 17 callers asked us if physical relationships caused the disease.” Dr Sharma adds, “Many people call out of guilt. They have landed themselves into trouble and want to know what the consequences could be like. That's why they ask such questions.”
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National Baseball
Championship opens Chandigarh, January 15 DAV School triumphs: DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, Chandigarh, trounced St John’s High School, Sector 26, by eight wickets in the sixth tie of the ongoing PCA Parle Cricket match played here on the DAV School ground on Thursday. St John’s School won the toss and elected to bat first. Its team was all out for 143 runs in 45 overs. Anand scored 34 runs, Amarinder Pal 20, Kushagar 17 and Sherry scored 19 runs. Michel claimed two wickets for 40 runs, Amit took two wickets for 14 runs and Kunal bagged two wickets for 19 runs. In reply, DAV School achieved the target in 19 overs with eight wickets in hand. Deepak Saini scored 72 runs, while Abhijit remained unbeaten with 25 runs. Abhey bagged two wickets for 50 runs. Lawn Tennis trials: The Sports Department, Chandigarh Administration, will hold the selection trials for the Chandigarh Civil Services Lawn Tennis team at 3.30 pm at the Lake Club tennis courts on Friday. The team will take part in the AlI India Civil Services Lawn Tennis tournament to be held at Hyderabad from January 27 to 31. Those interested may contact Sandeep Singh, lawn tennis coach. |
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Shuttlers to be honoured Chandigarh, January 15 The UT senior badminton team which would take part in the Senior National Badminton Championship in Hyderabad from January 16 to 22 was also announced. The team is:men:Ashish Sharma, Deepak Sidhu, Amit Sachdeva, Akash Sethi, Vivek Sharma and Gurjeet Bajwa; women: H. Sarda Devi, Bhavna Shama, Isha Sharma, Mala Gaba and Roma.
Under-17 cricket Green Field XI scored their second win in the PCA Parle Cup Inter-School Under-17 Cricket Tournament at MCA grounds, Mohali. They outplayed Paragon Senior Secondary School, Mohali, by 152 runs. Brief scores: Green Field:
352 for three in 40 overs (Harvinder Singh 105 n.o., Atul Gautam 73, Arjit Devnath 59, Sharvan 45);
Paragon: 200 for nine in 40 overs (Davinder Singh 64, Simardeep Singh 36, Onkar 20, Arjit 3 for 37, Sharvan 2 for 22).
Volleyball meet In the Panjab University Inter-College Volleyball 'B' Division Tournament at Panjab University grounds, Guru Nanak College, Moga, defeated GHG Harparkash College of Education, Sidhwan Khurd, 25-1, 25-2, 25-5. Government College, Karamsar, beat SDS College of Education for Women, Lopon, 25-13, 25-20, 25-7. |
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Gurpreet promising
soccer player Chandigarh, January 15 He said in Sanjay Public School, Sector 44, he learned the fundamentals of the sport from coach Ranjit Rana. “The encouragement given by the school management to achieve high in this sport has helped in moulding my career in this most fascinating sport of the world”, said Gurpreet. He played in the Durand Cup and enabled his team in reachig the last eight of the meet. Among his achievements, he said, he captained Sanjay Public School in 2000-2001 and was able to bring laurels to the school, which included winning the Inter school title. The school also qualified for the famous All India Subroto Cup Football meet, which he played four times. He was also given the best player of the tournament award in the meet. Gurpreet said during his stay at the academy he had taken part in the Airlines Gold Cup and the in IFA Shield where they lost to Churchil Brothers. He said he was yet to attain the age of 19 and played for Bihar in under 19 section. Gurpeet was of the view that the city had a lot of talent in football and the new academies being set up here would give thrust to the sport. He said the promising players needed more exposure to various tournaments. |
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DC asks MC to develop green belts Mohali, January 15 She said it had been decided that a joint visit of officials from the civic body, PUDA and PSIEC be organised, along with members of the Mohali Industries Association, to draw up a complete, phase-wise, list of the shortcomings. She said the departments concerned had been asked to develop green belts in the area and also to properly maintain the roads and streetlights. Sanitation aspect was in a state of neglect. Ms Jain said she had directed the Executive Officer of the council to coordinate with representative of the association as far as sanitation was concerned. The Executive Officer to provide information about the number of employees engaged for sanitation work in the industrial area and also about the expenditure being incurred in this regard. She warned that if the situation did not improve she would take action against council officials. The representatives of the association had pointed out that certain roads in Phases III and VII to IX were in a bad shape. The streetlights in many phases were not in working order, wild growth existed at certain points, sewer pipes in Phase V were blocked and water was supplied at a low pressure. The association demanded that the Jhotekut Colony in Sector 71, which fell on a road leading to industrial area, either be removed or cordoned off, a separate transport area should be earmarked for trucks and tempos as has been done in
Chandiagrh. |
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Demolition drive
stalled Chandigarh, January 15 Mr Shyam Lal, the house owner, said he had been living in the area for the past about 15 years. The top floor consisted of construction material where work had to be suspended for want of funds. There was no new construction at the site so his house should not have been touched at all.
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