The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

600 examined at TB camp

Ludhiana, February 8
The Ludhiana TB Eradication Society, an NGO comprising doctors and industrialists of the city, organised a TB-cum-Medicine Distribution Camp here yesterday. The event was organised in association with Stelco Steels Limited and NUCON Switchgears (P) Limited on the premises of the latter. As many as 600 workers were examined during the camp.

The camp was inaugurated by Dr Gursharan Singh, president, IMA, Ludhiana. Workers from various units were screened by a team of doctors, headed by Dr Satish Nauhria, president of the society. Medicines were distributed free of cost to patients.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Singh appreciated the starting of DOT therapy, as recommended by WHO. He assured support to the society to serve poor and needy patients.

Dr Nauhria said previously the society was engaged in distributing TB medicines to patients from the poorer section of society. Now, the patients who were adopted by the society were being given medicine free of cost at monthly camps, which started in June, 1997.

Those who attended the camp included Dr Savita Nauhria, Dr Suresh Chander, Dr Sunita, Dr Anil Sethi, Dr Parveen Malhotra, Dr Dinesh Trehan, Mr Mohan Jindal, Mr Jacob William, Mr Ramraj Garg, Mr Deepak Marwaha, Mr Vishal Bansal, Mr R.K. Tyagi. TNS

Health top priority, says minister
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 8
The Union Minister of State for Health, Dr Vallabh Bhai Kathiria, today said that health was the top priority of the National Democratic Alliance government. However ,it was for state governments to implement the schemes of the Centre.

Talking at a function organised by Shri Vivekanand Swarg Ashram Trust here today, Dr Kathiria claimed that during the past six years , the NDA government had launched several schemes related to healthcare.

He also claimed that the NDA was set to return to power in the next General Election. He said, the Congress was desperate as it had no issue. He maintained that the 'feel good' factor was working well with the people and there was a phenomenal response to the rallies of the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Earlier, addressing the function, he exhorted doctors and medical practitioners to take their job as a mission and not as a profession .

He pointed out, the doctors enjoyed a good image among the public and they should ensure that this image was not harmed. Dr Kathiria, himself a cancer specialist ,represents the Bhuj parliamentary constituency in Gujarat.

Prominent among those who attended today's function were senior BJP leader and member of Rajya SabhaLala Lajpat Rai, Director-General of Police AA Sidiqui, Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University KS Aulakh and Joint Commissioner, Central Excise, Rajeev Kapoor .

Turmeric, orange juice can prevent
cancer, says expert
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 8
The Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, Punjab Agricultural University, organised a lecture on ‘Diet and diseases’ here on Thursday.

Dr Ajit Kumar Verma, Professor in the Department of Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, USA, was the resource person. He explained the difference between a normal cell and a diseased cell and told how the normal cell was converted into a cancerous cell. He discussed the phenomena of cell growth, cell differentiation, apoptosis and gene function in cancerous cells.

Dr Verma said turmeric contained curcumin and garlic contained diallyl sulphide which could prevent occurring of various types of cancers.

The contents of orange juice and grapes also contained components that could prevent cancers. He advocated that crops should be bred for useful components like lycopene, vitamin C, flavonoids and carotenoinds that are health promoting and anti-cancerous in nature.

Dr A.P.S. Mann, Dean, College of Basic Sciences, suggested that the Indian medicinal plants had great potential in such studies. The lecture was attended by Dr Darshan Singh, Dean, Postgraduate Studies, PAU, and Dr M. Dhillon, Dean, College of Home Science. Many heads of the departments, faculty members and students also attended the lecture.

CME programme on diabetes today
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 8
The Department of Medicine, Christian Medical College and Hospital, will organise a continuing medical education (CME) programme on “Diabetes — Current trends” on February 9.

Leading diabetologists and endocrinologists from India and abroad will discuss the various aspects on diabetes during the day-long sessions. Dr S.K. Wangnoo from Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, will give a lecture on “new targets and trends for treating diabetes”. Dr S.K. Garg from Colorado, USA, will speak on “Newer insulins and glucose sensors”. A lecture on “diabetic dyslipidemia” will be presented by Dr R. Murlidharan from Fortis Hospital, Mohali.

Dr O.P. Kalra from GTB Hospital, Delhi, will speak on “Diabetic nephropathy — treatment modalities”. Dr A. Bhansali from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, will dwell on “management of diabetes during cardiac emergencies”. A lecture on “Insulin therapy in ICU setting” will be given by Dr S. Kalra from Bharti Hospital, Karnal.

Following the technical sessions, a question-answer round will be held in which the participants will put forth their queries before the guest faculty.

The programme will be chaired by Dr Jasbir Dhanoa and co-chaired by Dr Mary John, both from the CMC. The organising secretary of the programme will be Dr Abhay Daniel.

Health mela inaugurated
Our Correspondent

Sahnewal, February 8
A health mela was inaugurated by Mr Gurcharan Galib, former Member Parliament, at Government Primary School, Nandpur, near Sahnewal, here today.

“The mela,” according to Dr S.S. Dhir, SMO, Sahnewal, “has been organised with the assistance of the district administration along with health workers. The three-day mela will be open to general public for all types of medical examinations, which would be conducted by a team of 80 doctors and 254 health staff. They would operate from 45 stalls of allopathy, homoeopathy, ayurveda branch of medicine.”

The family welfare, health awareness-cum-check-up camp and surgical eye operation camp is being conducted to make people aware of various deadly and common diseases like AIDS, leprosy, tuberculosis. Diagnosis and laboratory tests like ECG, ultra-sound scanning and X-ray would be conducted during the mela. Also, eye surgeries would be performed at Ludhiana Sahnewal, Khanna and Jagraon on February 10, the concluding day of the mela. Other surgeries will be performed at civil hospitals of Ludhiana, Khanna, Samrala.

Dr Dhir said: “We expect around 3,000 to 4,000 patients to benefit from the mela,”said Dr J.M. Singh, SMO, Eye Mobile Unit.

SPORTS

Dismal day for Punjab zone
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, February 8
Punjab zone had a dismal day today as the hosts made an exit in both basketball and volleyball on the penultimate day of the North Zone Employees Provident Fund Tournament being organised by the sub-regional office at the Punjab Agricultural University ground here.

In the semi final (volleyball), Punjab zone gave some anxious moments to Haryana zone before going down in straight sets 18-25, 17-25 and 16-25.

In the second semifinal Uttar Pradesh zone were extended to four sets by Uttaranchal. In the first set Uttar Pradesh came out winner quite comfortably at 25-12 but were made to toil hard in the next set before wrapping it up 25-23.

Uttaranchal zone spikers fought valiantly in the third game and rattled their opponents to clinch it 25-14. However, in the fourth game Uttaranchal zone failed to cope up with UP zone’s skills and surrendered it 9-25.

In basketball, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana zones emerged victorious to set up the title clash.

In the semifinals, HP zone routed Delhi (head office) 42-10 while Haryana zone defeated Punjab 46-33.

SMD School holds annual sports meet
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, February 8
Students of the primary section of New SMD Senior Secondary School, Shivaji Nagar, celebrated their annual sports meet here yesterday. The meet was organised at the PUDA ground on the Chandigarh road. Mr Ram Dhawan, Managing Director, Commercial Stationers, declared it open.

Results (girls):
KG — 50 m race: Megha 1, Nidhi 2 and Dipty 3; Class I — lemon race: Radhika 1, Geetika 2 and Charika 3; class II — one-leg race: Gursimran 1, Anuradha 2 and Heena 3; class III — 50 m race: Charanpreet 1, Shailza 2 and Preety 3; class IV — lemon race: Jyoti 1, Reena 2 and Radhika 3; class V — lemon race: Megha Saini 1, Renu Jindal 2 and Karishma Goel 3.

Boys:
(KG) — lemon race: Harjeepreet 1, Deepak 2 and Sangeet 3; class I — lemon race: Ankush 1, Ravish 2 and Mohit 3; class II — one-leg race: Rishav 1, Shivam 2 and Sahil 3; class III — one-leg race: Simranjeet 1, Saurav 2 and Pankaj 3; class IV — 100 m race: Mukesh Arora 1, Ravi Kumar 2 and Kumar Sidharth 3; class V — 100 m race: Rohit 1, Ishan 2 and Nitin 3.

I will play soon, says Jugraj
Our Sports reporter

Ludhiana, February 8
Drag flicker Jugraj Singh hopes that he will be playing on his birthday, which falls on April 22. He said this at Jarkhar village, near here, yesterday where he was felicitated by the Sports Club. He was given the Surjit Singh Randhawa Award for his outstanding contribution in the field of hockey.

Jugraj Singh was seriously injured in a car accident on the outskirts of Jalandhar city on September 2, last year.

Talking to The Tribune at the Mata Sahib Kaur Stadium, Jarkhar, Jugraj said in the USA he was operated upon thrice at the Regions Hospital in St Paul City.

Three steel plates were fixed in his right thigh and elbow during operation in Ludhiana were removed and fresh plates were implanted.

When asked about his daily schedule, he said, besides physiotherapy, he goes to a gym at Beas daily for two to three hours and also goes for brisk walking regularly.