The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

MCD directive on dengue: remove stagnant water, use insecticide
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 3
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has directed all health officials of its Public Health Department to take necessary steps immediately to check the spread of mosquitoes in the city. It has been done in the wake of four cases of dengue that were reported here recently.

Mr Mukesh Goyal, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the MCD, who issued these instructions, said special steps should be taken to check the mosquitoes that are responsible for dengue. He stressed that breeding spaces should be checked and breeding must be eliminated at the source, if detected.

He said that the resident welfare associations (RWAs), the DDA, group housing societies and multi-storied residential complexes also should take initiative in checking breeding of mosquitoes. Mr Goyal said the stagnant water should be removed immediately and the local people must ensure that there should not be any overhead tank uncovered.

Besides, the water must not be allowed to stagnate in open places. He has also directed the Health Department to educate the people about this drive and about the checks being taken. Mr Goyal also assured simultaneously that there was no need to get panicky about it but the officials and local people must be alerted. Mr Goyal said reported cases of dengue did not have the usual symptoms of this disease as such.

Mr Goyal also appealed to the people to ensure that water did not stagnate in and around their houses. He also advised them to use insecticides in houses.

BODY&MIND
Indo-Pak heart to heart talk
Tripti Nath

After cricketers and artisans, it is the turn of cardiologists from India and Pakistan to exchange hearty greetings and inquiries. The Escorts Heart & Super Speciality Institute, Amritsar, is hosting an ‘India-Pakistan Heart Summit’ on April 10 and 11 to initiate a dialogue between cardiologists of both countries. Dr T.S. Kler, Director of the Escorts Heart Institute at Amristar and Senior Consultant, Interventional Cardiologist at Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, Delhi says that the summit will bring together delegates and speakers from

India, Pakistan, U.K. and USA. Dr Kler who mooted the idea for the conference says that morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases has assumed alarming proportions in the Indian subcontinent. Head of Cardiac Electrophysiology at Escorts, Delhi, Dr Kler says that the disease pattern is almost similar in North India and Pakistan. Professor G.S. Grewal, Vice-Chancellor of Baba Farid Medical University, will deliver the inaugural address. Delegates will get a chance to hear Dr Masood Akhtar and Dr Jasbir Sara from St. Lukes Medical Center,

University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Dr Indersingh Anand from Veteran Administrative Hospital. Dr Anand is known the world over for his research on heart failure.

Topics listed for discussion during the conference are acute coronary syndrome, low molecular weight Heparin with comparisan of efficacy, acute myocardial infarction management strategies, sudden cardiac death, new modalities of arrthymia mapping and strategies for prevention of coronary artery disease. So far, 35 doctors from Pakistan have registered for the conference. Dr Kler says that they are expecting 450 persons to attend the conference. This includes delegates and speakers.

BMJ special issue on South Asia

The British Medical Journal’s (BMJ) 80-page special issue on South Asia was released in Karachi on Friday in the presence of co-editors, Dr Samiran Nundy from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, and Zulfikar Bhutta from Aga Khan University. The issue was released by the BMJ editor, Richard Smith and deputy editor, Kamran Abassi.

The special issue was conceptualised in June 2002 at a meeting of the BMJ editorial board in London. It boasts of a print order of 2,80,000 copies.

On the editorial board of the BMJ for the last five years, Dr Nandy says that the BMJ readership is close to half a million and a circulation of 1,40,000. The BMJ plans to distribute 5000 to 10,000 copies of its special issue to opinion leaders in South Asia.

The special issue comprises an editorial, ‘Any hope for South Asia’ by Dr Bhutta and Dr Nundy, besides articles on postgraduate medical education in South Asia by Lalita Mandif from Sri Lanka and Fozia Qureshi from Pakistan, tobacco related harm in South Asia by Dr Samarasingh and Dr Colvin Goonarathna from Sri Lanka, marketing of medicines in India by C.M. Gulati, editor of Monthly Index of Medical Specialities and ‘A trial of Ginkgo Biloba’, a herb for prevention of high altitude sickness by Buddha Basnayat from Nepal.

Helping hand from Sun Foundation

The World Punjabi Organisation and the Sun Foundation hosted a reception for the visiting delegation of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases from the UK. The four member delegation comprising parliamentarians, Mr Keith Vaz and Mr John Barret, National Director of RESULTS, a UK-based NGO and Mr Gary Hampton, Coordinator of Stop TB Image Library, a division of WHO in France, was here to release a grant of 20 million pounds to combat tuberculosis and other lung diseases in the country. Mr Vikramjit Singh Sahney told the delegation that the “noble gesture and helping hand from our UK counterparts will go a long way in helping our poor masses to get rid of dreadful diseases like tuberculosis.”

Mothers & daughters

In partial fulfillment of their corporate social responsibility, Citibank and The Park joined hands to host an evening here to mark the publication of Mothers & Daughters’, a photographic journal by Sonal Vimal Ambani. Published by Ahmedabad-based Cancer Screening & Research Trust, the journal recognises the special relationship and unconditional love between mothers and daughters. It also seeks to remind women of the need for regular cancer screenings for early detection to preserve the precious bond. Since the author’s mother was confronted with the harsh diagnosis of Ovarian cancer, she has taken upon herself the task of spreading awareness about preventive cancer testing. The book celebrates the bond celebrities have shared with their mothers. Women who have contributed to the project are Jaya Bachchan, Deepti Naval, Hema Malini, Tanuja and Kajol, Adito Gowitrikar, Shehnaz Hussein, Gurinder Chadha, Mira Nair, Ritu Nanda and Soni Razdan.

The Cancer Screening & Research Trust also succeeded in persuading Shubha Mudgal to lend her voice to support the cause of cancer at a concert the same evening. The concert is the first in a series of Indian classical music concerts being organised to focus on cancer awareness.

SPORTS

Akash, Naveen shine in FCI victory
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 3
A brilliant century by Akash Malhotra and a quickfire 88 by Naveen Negi helped Food Corporation of India (FCI) defeat Chand Khanna Club by 126 runs in a Super A Division match of the DDCA League at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground.

Scores: FCI: 304 for 7 in 40 overs (Akash Malhotra 104, Naveen Negi 88, Rajender Bisth 42, Sonu Vaid 31, Durga Prasad 3 for 44). Chand Khanna: 178 all out in 33 overs (Sandeep Kumar 53, Yogesh Sachdeva 3 for 33, Akash Malhotra 2 for 36, Amit Singh 2 for 22).

R R Gymkhana and Kishan Ganj Gymkhana played a tied match in the Super A Division.

Scores: Kishan Ganj: 171 all out in 40 overs (Dinesh Yadav 45, Mohd Atiq 40, Abhishek Sharma 5 for 27).

R R Gymkhana: 171 all out in 40 overs (Pradeep Chawla 55, Mohinder Pal 2 for 32, Suni Sharma 2 for 37, Mohd Atiq 2 for 34).

S B Youth defeated Little Master by three runs in a Super A Division match at the University ground.

Scores: S B Youth: 189 all out in 34.5 overs (Subodh Badola 34 n o, Rakesh Rawat 33, Sachin Yadav 30, Unmesh Choudhary 3 for 27, Randhir Singh 3 for 32). Little Master: 186 all out in 35 overs (Randhir Singh 61, Sangram Singh 3 for 24, Harender Rawat 2 for 22).

Canara Bank beat Punjab National Bank (PNB) by seven wickets in an A-II Division match at the Khalsa College ground.

Scores: PNB: 159 for 6 in 35 overs (Y K Saxena 36, Sukhvinder Singh 34 n o, Shiv Kumar 2 for 29, Harish Saxena 2 for 34). Canara Bank: 160 for 3 in 26 overs (Jai Singh Bisht 106, 8x4, 5x6, D V Chabra 22, Vijay Singh 20).

Delhi Eaglets down Hari Nagar
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, April 3
Delhi Eaglets defeated Hari Nagar No II by three wickets in a league match of the West Delhi Academy Under-15 Cricket Tournament at the Hari Nagar Sports Complex ground. Ishan received the man of the match award.

Scores: Hari Nagar: 226 all out in 30 overs (Abhijeet Kumar 46, Harnav Singh 34, Agnesh Kumar 30). Delhi Eaglets: 227 for 7 in 29.3 overs (Ishan Kumar 70 n o, Rohit Kumar 33, Akshit Kumar 31, Harnav Singh 31, Agnesh Kumar 3 for 43, Harman Singh 3 for 37).

Gyan Bharati win

A fine half century by Puneet Singh and all-round display by Amitoz Singh (42 and 3 for 30) helped Gyan Bharati Academy defeat Ramakant Achrekar Foundation by seven wickets in a league round of the R C Sharma Memorial Under-17 Cricket Tournament at the Vikaspuri ground. Puneet Singh received the man of the match award.

Scores: Achrekar Foundation: 163 for 7 in 35 overs (Geet Arora 79, Shobhit Sharma 34, Amitoz Singh 3 for 30). Gyan Bharati: 164 for 5 in 34.2 overs (Puneet Singh 56, Amitoz Singh 42 n o, Vidur Sethi 41, Surender Pal Singh 3 for 15).