HEALTH

Indian doctors to visit Pakistan for health, peace today
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 9
Opening new vistas of relationships between the two countries following successful sports and cultural exchanges, Indian doctors are all set to visit Pakistan to discuss the health issues confronting both the countries besides giving a call to broker peace.

Following the invitation of the Pakistan Doctors for Peace and Development (PDPD), a 30-member delegation of Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) will go to Pakistan tomorrow to participate in the Indo-Pak doctors meet on peace and health to be held in Karachi on December 12.

Besides discussing the health status of both the countries, the Indian doctors would deliberate upon steps to be undertaken for keeping peace in the region. They would also air their demands at the platform of the health exchange. These would include that South Asia should be declared a nuclear-free zone and steps be taken to eliminate the nuclear weapons.

Besides, they would advocate sorting out mutual differences and disputes through bilateral negotiations between the two countries. The doctors would also give a clarion call to both the governments to sign a no-war pact, end proxy war and cross-border terrorism, cut down the military expenditure by 10 per cent every year, delete chapters in the books of history on both sides which preach hatred and animosity and ban films and cultural programmes which depict hostility between the two countries.

‘‘We are of the firm opinion that if the two countries take effective measures for peace and divert funds being spent on arms towards the welfare of our people, the scenario will undergo a sea change.’’ said Dr Arun Mitra, an office-bearer of the IDPD.

Stating that the health status of the people of India and Pakistan is amongst the lowest in the world, Dr Mitra said almost half of our population live below poverty line, one-third children are under nourished, half of the population have no access to essential drugs and 12.5 per cent die of communicable diseases.

Dr L.S. Chawla, president of the IDPD, claimed that as per the constitution of the World Heath Organisation (WHO) “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief and economic or social condition”. Therefore, Health for All should be urgently ensured in the spirit of the Alma-Ata declaration. This requires strong conviction, dedication, vision and budgetary allocation towards the well-being, he said

The doctors said but it is an irony that instead, both the countries have been incurring huge expenditure on arms race, which has adversely affected our economies and thus the spending on health. Perpetual tension between the two countries has lead to ever-increasing arms race in the region. Addition of nuclear weapons to already existing huge arsenal in 1998 by governments of both countries added new dimension to the situation.

They said as per the estimates, over 1.2 crore people could be killed in the event of nuclear war between the two countries, besides unprecedented devastation to the flora and fauna and economy of the region. In such a situation medical fraternity shall not be able to offer any remedy. Even if the states decide against the use of nuclear weapons, the possibility of their use by accident, natural calamity or the non-state actors remains real and grave.

It is also wrong to state that these weapons of mass destruction serve as nuclear deterrent. This has been proved wrong by the Kargil conflict which occurred after the nuclear tests. Moreover, 11 lakh soldiers of both the countries stood in a highly alert state for 10 months, the biggest ever after the Second World War, asserted both the doctors.

The desire for peace and friendship is strong in people on both sides of the border and has been exhibited during the cricket matches and otherwise in recent past. The steps taken recently to improve relations between the two countries have been welcomed but much more needs to be done. But the time to time rhetoric by our leaders, continued arms race and missiles tests hamper the confidence-building measures, they claimed.

SPORTS

GNN College holds athletics meet
Arvinder adjudged best
Our Correspondent

Doraha, December 9
The 31st annual athletics meet for boys of Guru Nanak National (GNN)College, was organised at Guru Nanak Stadium here today.

The meet was inaugurated by Dr Rajwant Singh Pandher of Pandher Hospital.

Mr Jaswant Singh Gill, Principal of the college, welcomed the guests.

The chief guest, Dr Pandher, was honoured by Prof Balwant Singh Pangali, general secretary, Mr Jagjiwan Pal Singh Gill, vice-president , Mr Tarlok Singh Jaggi, assistant secretary, and Mr Adarsh Pal Bector, treasurer of the college Management Committee. Prof (retd) Rachpal Singh Pali and Dr Joginder Singh Nagi were present on the occasion.

After march past, Dr Pandher declared the meet open and hoisted the college flag. Athletes carried torch, around the ground and the oath-taking ceremony was performed.

Arvinder Kumar of BA III was declared the best athlete of the college.

The results of various events of the athletic meet are :

100m race : Arvinder Kumar (BA III) 1, Jarnail Singh (BA II) 2 and Simranjit Singh (BA II) 3.

200m race : Arvinder Kumar (BA III )1, Avtar Singh (BA I) 2, Jagjit Singh (MA I) 3.

400m race :Arvinder Kumar (BA III )1, Jagjit Singh (MA I) 2, Avtar Singh (BAI) 3.

800m race : Arvinder Kumar (BA III )1, Ashish Kumar (BCA I) 2, Charanjit Singh (BA I) 3.

1500m Race : Ram Parkash Pandey (BA I) 1, Mohd. Naushad Ali (BA I) 2, Harwinder Singh (BA I) 3.

5000m: Mohammad Naushad (BA I) 1, Rajinder Singh (BA II) 2 and Ram Parkash Pandey (BA I) 3.

High jump : Malwinder Singh (BA III) 1, Charanjit Singh (BA III) 2, Mandeep Singh (M.Com I) 3.

Long jump : Arvinder Kumar (BA III )1, Malwinder Singh (BA III) 2, Mandeep Singh 3.

Triple jump : Arvinder Kumar (BA III) 1, Jarnail Singh (BA III) 2, Gurbakshish Singh (BA I) 3.

Shot put : Gurbakshish Singh (BA I) 1, Jarnail Singh (BA III) 2, Ravinder Singh (MA I) 3.

Discus throw : Gurbakhshish Singh (BA I) 1, Gurkirat Singh (BA II) 2, Gagandeep Singh (BA I) 3.

Javelin throw : Jarnail Singh (BA III) 1, Ravinder Singh (MA I) 2, Gurbakshish Singh (BA I) 3.

Three legged race: Charanjit Singh (BA I) and Amrinder Singh (BA I) 1, Jagjit Singh (B.Com II) and Rajvir Singh (B.Com III) 2, Umesh Kumar (BA III) and Gurminder Singh (BA III) 3.