Impotence a widespread problem, says expert
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 27
According to urologists and the World Health Organisation, due to the fast-changing lifestyle and increasing stress, erectile dysfunction(impotence) has become a widespread problem. In the Indian context, patients hesitate in consulting the urologist and wait for several years before doing so due to social taboos. These views were expressed by Dr Baldev Singh Aulakh, urologist and transplant surgeon, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, who recently returned after attending a workshop on “Insertion of prostheses for impotence and urinary incontinence” at the PGI, Chandigarh. The workshop was conducted by Prof Ajay Nehra from the USA.

The current estimate is that only 17 per cent patients are treated by urologists and the rest by other physicians. In India, a large number of patients suffer from impotence and are not treated due to lack of awareness, said Dr Aulakh.

He said though the number of such cases reported was increasing, science had made many breakthroughs in its treatment. Nowadays, procedures for the treatment of impotence, like prosthesis implantations and surgery for urinary incontinence, were conducted on a regular basis all over the world. The advantages of these surgeries included high success rate, relatively low complications, shorter hospital stay, he added.

“Various companies have launched many drugs for this problem. The response varies from 40 per cent to 70 per cent. The cost is the prohibitory factor. It ranges from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 4.2 lakh. It may come down with the waiving of duty by the government”, said Dr Aulakh.

“The implication is that exercise can certainly help. But how much exercise is required? The evidence suggests that the amount of exercise is relatively minor. Aerobic exercises three times a week with a doubling of weekly exercise rate can produce significant changes”, he stressed.

SPORTS

Amritpal to be sent to USA
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, March 27
Impressed by the outstanding performance of a local athlete, Amritpal Singh, the Punjab Sports Department has decided to send him abroad for further training. This was stated by Mr Kartar Singh and Mr D.S. Bains, secretary, Sports, Punjab, here today. They were in the city in connection with the trials being conducted for the speed fund academy run by the department.

Amritpal hogged the limelight when he rewrote the 30-year-old record in the long jump event during the National Federation Athletics Championship held in New Delhi from March 16 to 18. Amritpal Singh, an ASI with the Punjab Police, leapt to a distance of 8.08 metres to put to shade the previous record of 8.07 mts set by another Indian T.C. Yohanan in the 7th Asian Games at Tehran, Iran, in 1974. On the basis of this performance, Amritpal has qualified for the forthcoming Athens Olympics.

Mr Kartar Singh and Mr Bains informed that they had forwarded the case of Amritpal to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) which would send this promising athlete to the USA where he would be trained by the world record holder Mike Powell (8.95 mts). In case, they did not get a favourable reply from the IOA, then the big industrial houses in the state would be approached for assistance to send the boy abroad, they said.

Cricket trials on March 30
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, March 27
The Ludhiana District Cricket Association (LDCA) will conduct trials to select probables (u-15 years) here at the Arya College for Boys ground on March 30 at 8 am. According to Mr Vinod Chitkara, honorary secretary, LDCA, the selected players will be enrolled with the regional coaching centre being run by the association under the age is of the Punjab Cricket Association.

Players born on or after September 1, 1989, are eligible for the trials. From these probables, the district team will be selected for the forthcoming Punjab State Inter-District Sushil Bali Cricket Tournament scheduled to be held at different venues in the state from April 13, Mr Chitkara said.

Murali’s father felicitated
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, March 27
Mr R. Murali, father of Indian spinner Murli Karthik, was felicitated here yesterday. Mr Murali who is Assistant General Manager of the Chennai-based Bharat Overseas Bank Ltd was in the city on an official tour.

On his arrival at Hotel Hallmark Regency, G T Road, here Mr Murali was accorded a warm welcome by city residents. People congratulated him on Karthik’s scalping Pakistan’s skipper Inzaman-ul-Haq’s wicket in the fifth and final match in Lahore which turned the scales in the visitors’ favour and also helped India to wrap up the One- Day International five matches series 3-2.

Mr Vimal Abbot, Managing Director of the hotel, presented a bouquet to Mr Murali, who was accompanied by Mr K.N. Singh, manager of the local branch of the bank.

ADMINISTRATION

Procurement arrangements complete
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 27
The administration is all set for the procurement of wheat which starts from April 1. Elaborate arrangements have been made in collaboration with the Food and Civil Supplies Department and other procurement agencies that have spread their operations across 99 mandis and purchase centres. A meeting was held here recently in this regard.

The Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, Mr Anurag Verma, who presided over the meeting, said during this year wheat had been cultivated in 257 hectares and the district administration was expecting a production of 12.40 lakh tonnes. He said 9.44 lakh tonnes of wheat was expected to be marketed in the mandis out of which around 8 lakh tonnes was expected to be purchased by government agencies whereas last year 7.22 lakh tonnes was procured by government agencies.

He further said the notification for the opening of 99 mandis in the district had already been issued by the Punjab Government and sufficient storage space had been arranged in the district and in case of more space required, wheat would be stored at katcha plinths. He said the work for the allotment of mandis to different agencies had been completed and the ratio for the purchase of wheat by different purchase agencies had been fixed by the state government under which the FCI would purchase 33 per cent, Markfed 20 per cent, Punsup 18 per cent, Food Supply and Warehousing 10 per cent each and Punjab Agro 9 per cent.

The district heads of the procurement agencies said the procurement staff had been appointed in all mandis and directed to report at the earliest. Mr Verma further said all stock articles for the purchase including bardana, moisture metres, power cleaning machines had already been procured by the agencies and arhtiyas. He said for the quick filling and shifting of the purchased wheat from the mandis to the storage sites, labour and transport contracts had already been finalised for all the mandis of the district.

Referring to the facilities for the farmers Mr Verma said the officers of the Mandi Board had been directed to ensure proper shelter, adequate drinking water and power in the mandis before the start of the purchase in the mandis. He said the Chief Agriculture Officer and his field staff had been directed to start awareness programme to educate the farmers to harvest their crop fully-riped only during the day and bring into the mandis, dry and clean produce.

Commission agents were being mobilised to get the pamphlets/posters for the awareness of the farmers. He said the redressal forums were already functioning with members of the administration, mandi board, representatives of the Food and Civil Supplies Department and farmers in all Sub-divisions to solve any problem immediately.