The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

BODY&MIND
Cancer institute to empower women
Tripti Nath

Moving beyond the empowerment rhetoric that has become synonymous with the International Women’s Day (March 8), the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre (RGCIRC) seeks to empower women by monitoring their health status.

As in the years gone by, the institute is observing women’s week (March 8 to 15) for cancer detection and public awareness programme. On March 8, experts from RGCIRC and Amity Institute of Behavioural (Health) & Allied Sciences present their views on ‘Cancer in women’ at India Habitat Centre.

During the entire week, the institute will offer a thorough cancer check up at subsidised rates. Dr Y.P. Bhatia, Chief Executive Officer of the institute, says that the institute will offer 50 per cent discount for cancer screening during this week. The check-up will cost Rs 750 and will include mammography, ultrasound, X-ray chest, Pap smear and other pathological tests for cervix and uterus.

Dr Bhatia says that the very mention of cancer raises fear of impending death. “Most people believe that there is no cure for cancer. A large number of cancers can be cured with modern technologies, if detected early.

Unfortunately, majority of patients come to the hospital at an advanced stage when chances of cure are less and one can only hope and pray to improve the quality of life. Most women in India suffer from cancer of the cervix or breast. Among men, the most common cancer are oral cancer, lung cancer and cancer of the prostate. Timely screening reduces cancer mortality.

Persons who have no symptoms but come for screening can benefit in several ways. These include improved prognosis for those with screened detected cancers, possibility of less radical treatment and resource saving.”

Plianbangchang pledges to make health a right for all: The week began on an enthusiastic note in WHO’s South East Asia region office here when Dr Samlee Plianbangchang took over as Regional Director of WHO’s South East Asia region. He succeeds Dr Uton Muchtar Rafei who held the office for two terms spanning ten years.

Dr Samlee pledged to continue building “a more solid foundation for heath” to ensure that the right to health is a basic right for all and not a privilege for some. He said that polio eradication and leprosy elimination figure in the unfinished health agenda. He emphasised that the significance of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for fulfilling the health agenda. “The new health agenda must include a focus on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which is spreading in some countries of the region at an alarming rate and faster than on any other continent.”

Spelling out his priorities, Dr Samlee said that WHO would try to persuade political leaders to increase investments for health in their countries for the better health of the people and for greater social and economic development.

Dr Samlee retired as Deputy Regional Director of WHO’s South East Asia region three years ago. He has a rich experience of 16 years in WHO’s South East Asia region.

Before taking over as Regional Director, he held the post of Dean at the Chulanlonkorn University, Bangkok. Dr Samlee was elected in September by representatives of 11 member countries of WHO South East Asia region. These include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste. His name was nominated to the Executive Board in Geneva. During its 113rd session in January, the Board ratified the nomination. Other candidates in the race for the post of Regional Director were Rita Thapa from Nepal who retired as Programme Director from the South East Asia region office, Palitha Abeykon from Sri Lanka who held one of the senior posts here and Dr Samad Abdullah from Maldives who looks after the disease programme section of WHO’s South East Asia region.

Mirror gazing men!: Whoever said that women alone were fond of getting a face-lift occasionally. Men are becoming equally appearance conscious and have begun frequenting parlours and barbershops for facials to defy age besides hair and body massage. The beauty parlour and barbershop run by Mrs Veena Loomba in Inter-Continental Park Royal Hotel in Nehru Place has taken the lead in introducing Whisky facial.

Although, the facial is for both men and women, men prefer it as it involves use of alcohol. The facial promises to rejuvenate the skin and lend it a youthful look. Cosmeticians in the parlour say that the malt in the whisky hydrates and rejuvenates cells and gives the face a radiant glow. The facial includes cleansing, massage with Scotch whisky and use of a fruit pack. The barbershop claims that it has got a wonderful response and five men come for the hitherto unheard of facial everyday. The facial costs Rs 900.

Boston Scientific Corporation: Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) has announced that it has got approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its TAXUS TM Express TM Paclitaxel-eluting Coronary Stent System.

The company plans to launch the product in the United States without losing any time. It launched the TAXUS system in Europe and other international markets in February last year. Boston Scientific is a global developer and manufacturer of medical devices and its products are used in a vast range of interventional medical specialities.

Mr Sanjiv Chopra, Managing Director of Boston Scientific India says, “The FDA approval has come as a reinforcement of the credibility that TAXUS has in India. Its performance has been recognised by physicians as particularly impressive in challenging cases such as patients with diabetes, small vessels and long lesions.”

Mr Jim Tobin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boston Scientific, termed the approval as “a breakthrough event for the treatment of cardiovascular disease in the United States. The approval of the TAXUS system makes this revolutionary therapy commercially available for the first time in the US.

SPORTS

Punjab Zone annex overall trophy
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 6
Punjab Zone emerged overall winners while Delhi Zone finished as runners-up in the 21st All-India PNB Inter Zone Sports Meet at the Karnail Singh stadium on Saturday. Pramod of Northern Zone and Kusum Lata of Delhi Zone emerged as the fastest athletes of the meet winning the men’s and women’s 100 event. Pramod clocked 12.30 secs while J. P. Sharma of Punjab Zone and Praveen of MP Zone accounted for the second and third place, respectively.

Kusum Lata posted a time of 15 secs to win the women’s 100m race. She was followed by Sudha of M. P. Zone and Prem Lata of Delhi Zone. Harbind Kumar of Central UP posted a time of 29m, 57 secs to win the 5km walk for men. A. S. Yadav of Northern Zone and Som Dutt of Himachal took the silver and bronze, in that order.

Punjab Zone clocked 4:11.13 minutes to win the 4x400m relay for men. Delhi Zone and Himachal Zone took the second and third position, respectively. J. P. Saroya of Punjab Zone was named the best athlete in the men’s section while Kusum Lata and Sudha shared the honour in the women’s section. Jagal Bengle of Western Zone defeated Neeraj of Bihar zone 25-20, 25-10 to bag the carrom title while C. S. Umi of Western Zone, who logged 6.5 points, won the chess title.

Akshya Saxena of Delhi Zone and C P Singh of East UP Zone, who logged 5.5 points each, took the second and third place. Western Zone defeated Uttaranchal 3-0 to annex the table tennis team championship. Vaidehi Patil of Western Zone beat team-mate J. Iyer to annex the women’s singles title.

Jasvinder Singh Sahn of Uttarnachal defeated Sanjay Dhotrey of Western Zone in the men’s singles tennis final.

Sudhakar Sharma of Punjab Zone defeated D. Sharma of Rajasthan Zone 15-11, 15-12 to annex the men’s singles badminton final. Western Zone defeated Delhi Zone in the carrom final.

Brijesh slams century for Paragon
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 6
Brijesh Obrai slammed a century to help Paragon Club defeat Friends Club by 70 runs in an A-II Division match of the DDCA League at the University ground.

Scores: Paragon: 235 for 9 in 40 overs (Brijesh Obrai 103, Rajeev Malhotra 33, Rajesh Malhotra 4 for 47, Amit Jain 2 for 43).

Friends Club: 165 for 9 in 40 overs (Dinesh Kumar 25 n o, Shubhash Kanojia 3 for 26).

Lion Kanishka defeated Syndicate Bank by seven wickets in an A-II Division match at the Delhi University polo ground.

Scores: Syndicate Bank: 139 all out in 38.2 overs (Vikram Kumar 31, Vivek Verma 3 for 24, Raj Kapoor 3 for 12).

Lion Kanishka: 142 for 3 in 27.1 overs (Pitamber Dutt 63, Mudassir 41, Raman Choudhary 2 for 28).

Citizen Club beat Hind Club by three wickets in an A-I Division match.

Scores: Hind Club: 181 all out in 39.3 overs (Puran Kumar 52, Kuwarjit Singh 42, Jatin Jain 5 for 32, Dushyant 2 for 33).

Citizen Club: 184 for 7 in 36.3 overs (Tejesh Anand 68, Shobhit Kaushik 45, Puran Kumar 3 for 46, Rajan Rana 2 for 24).

Times of India beat Century Club by nine wickets in an A-I Division match.

Scores: Century Club: 104 all out in 33 overs (Lalit Saini 26, Darshan Lal 21, Sudhir Giri 4 for 13, Sandeep Angurala 3 for 20).

TOI: 108 for 1 in 13 overs (Arvind Singh 41 n o, Sandeep Angurala 44).