HEALTH

Cycle rally on heart diseases
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, March 27
A cycle rally was organised by the Chandigarh Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) Prevention Project in collaboration with the Chandigarh Amateur Cycling Association. Staff of Panjab University and the PGI took part in the rally, which was flagged off by Prof K.N. Pathak, Vice-Chancellor, from the varsity campus today.

Prof Ronki Ram, president, PUTA, motivated university employees to engage themselves in activities to remain physically active. After passing through various sectors of the city, the rally stopped at the Sector 33 Terrace Garden, for Press interaction.

Dr Shitanshu spoke about the project. He said cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), commonly known as heart diseases account for 11 per cent of the global burden of diseases and 33 per cent of the deaths due to diseases. Of these, three-fourth of the morbidity and mortality is from low and middle-income sections. Heart attacks and stroke are mainly caused by one or more cardiovascular risk factors like physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol, high fat and high salt diet.

Most of these CVD events are preventable if meaningful action is taken against these risk factors. In India, studies show that hypertension is present in 25 per cent urban and 10 per cent of rural subjects. In Chandigarh, the prevalence of hypertension has almost doubled over the past 30 years. The rate of hypertension in 1968 were 27 per cent and it has increased to 45 per cent in 1996-97 among males of 30 years of age.

A study carried out to find out causes of death in 1997 has found that cardiovascular diseases are the cause of death approximately in one third of deaths in Chandigarh. As CVDs are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Chandigarh, there is an urgent need to undertake an intervention programme to check the rise of CVDs. With this is mind, the Health Department, Chandigarh, in collaboration with the Department of Community Medicine, along with the Department of Cardiology and Internal Medicine, PGI, has launched the “Chandigarh CVD Prevention Project”.

The project is being carried out in urban, rural and slum areas of Chandigarh, covering a population of about 10 lakh.

Special cadre for doctors recommended
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, March 27
Dr K.V. Singh, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has recommended that a specialist cadre be started for doctors. He was speaking at a function organised by the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA) here this evening. The association had organised the function to felicitate Dr K.V. Singh on his elevation as the OSD to Chief Minister.

Dr K.V. Singh, former member of the HCMSA, asked the Director-General Health, Haryana, Dr Sushma Madan, to formulate a policy for making a cadre for HCMS doctors. He said having a cadre for doctors would ensure that all doctors spend the initial years of practice in rural areas. “This would not only solve the problem of unavailability of doctors in rural areas but also ensure that no doctor can use “connections” to avoid going to rural areas,” he added. He also suggested that the Health Department regularly check the doctors posted in rural areas, to see if they were maintaining their headquarters in rural areas.

Meanwhile, the President of the Association, Dr Dharamvir Saharan, said there was a shortage of doctors at the sub-centres and urged that the government allow Civil Surgeons to hire doctors on contract. He also demanded that the government ensure availability of medicines and paramedic staff in all government dispensaries and hospitals.

Dystrophy patients share experiences
Tribune News Service

Mohali, March 27
Members of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Chandigarh chapter, met at Sylvie Park, Phase 10 here today. More than 25 patients along with their family members from across the region participated in the annual camp.

Patients shared their experiences and entertained one another with songs and jokes. Sumeet Singh, a patient from Mohali had mathematician who can calculate complex sums in seconds, shared his talent with others.

Participants felt the need for easy accessibility in public places and special parking places. They said the city should be made more wheelchair-accessible.

During the interaction it was stressed that patients should keep a positive attitude. “Many patients, specially children, do not like to be in the wheelchair. We told them that a wheelchair would help them increase their mobility,” said Mr Gurbir Singh Kochar, president of the association.

Stating that muscular dystrophies referred to a group of genetic diseases characterised by progressive weakness and degeneration of the skeletal or voluntary muscles, he said this was due to the muscles lacking a key protein that was needed to function properly.”

It can affect people of all ages. Although some forms first become apparent in infancy or childhood, the others may not appear until middle age or later, he said.

SPORTS

Bharat Kesri floors Rustam-e-Pakistan
Tribune News Service

Mohali, March 27
A majority of the wrestlers, including Rustam-e-Pakistan Bashir Bhola, lost bouts during the Indo-Pak Wrestling Tournament held at Singhpura village, near Kurali, 15 km from here, yesterday.

In fact, Bhola could withstand the might of Bharat Kesri Palwinder Singh Cheema for just one and a half minutes, much to the delight of the spectators.

Pakistan’s Bhola had thrown a challenge to Cheema after being beaten in the Punjab Games held in Patiala last year. In that contest Bhola and his coach had blamed the organisers for being partial to Cheema.

This time too, Cheema outsmarted his rival to prove his supremacy and vindicated the decision taken in his favour in Patiala.

However, high drama was witnessed as after Bhola’s defeat, Mohhamed Naseer, chief coach, and Abdul Mazeed, Pakistani team manager, disputed referee R.S. Kundu’s decision.

They alleged that Cheema had been favoured again by the referee during the bout. However, the referee dismissed the objections raised by the Pakistanis amid applause by the spectators.

The tournament started at 2 pm. Twelve bouts were held in which Pakistan won only two. 

AG Bengal, AG Rajasthan enter TT final
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 27
AG Bengal and AG Rajasthan, representing East Zone and West Zone, respectively, qualified for the final of the All-India Inter-Zonal Audit and Accounts Table tennis Tournament in progress in the Sector 23 table tennis hall, here today.

In the first semifinal, seventh seed AG Rajasthan beat the second seed AG Uttar Pradesh of North Zone, 3-2.

In the second semifinal, AG West Bengal had to struggle hard to beat AG Tamil Nadu, 3-2. In the veterans’ category, Patanjali Kumar of AG Haryana and Pritam Sen of AG West Bengal qualified for the final. In the semifinal, Patanjali Kumar defeated Daniel Sampath of AG Karnataka in straight games, 11-5, 11-9 and 11-4.

In the second semifinal, Pritam Sen had to make efforts to defeat HP Chauhan of Gujarat, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5.

In the women’s category, Smita Chaudhary of AG Orissa and Bhavani Bhardwaj entered the final of the tournament. In the semifinals, Smita struggled hard to defeat Gurvinder Kaur of Punjab, 11-6, 11-4, 9-11,2-11, 11-9, 13-11, whereas Barnali Roy of West Bengal lost to Bhavani Bhardwaj of Karnataka in a five- set duel at the score of 10-12, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8 and11-6.

In the men’s singles event, seventh seed Harish Kumar of AG Haryana routed second seed Sunil Parmar of Gujarat in a well-contested seven-set fight at 11-6, 11-7, 11-5, 4-11, 9-11, 8-11 and 11-5 and qualified for the semifinal. K. Srivastava of Tamil Nadu, Joginder Bisht of Delhi Audit and Saurav Sengupta are the others who entered the semifinals of the tournament.

Minerva Academy beat Palsora XI by 114 runs
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, March 27
Minerva Academy outplayed Palsora XI by 114 runs in the 9th Haryana Tourism Cash Prize Cricket Tournament played at the grounds of the Government College for Men, Sector 11, today.

Brief scores: Minerva Academy — 158 for 6 in 25 overs (Rajesh Vaid 64, Sham Lal 23, Vinod K.C 16, Satish 3 for 38).

Palsora XI — 44 runs all out in 19.5 overs (Arvind 19, Rajesh Vaid 3 for six, Kanav Verma 3 for eight, Gagandeep Singh 2 for 25, Puneet 2 for 10).

SJOBA rally from April 2
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 27
The St. John's Old Boys Association (SJOBA) is gearing up for its two-day Sub-Himalayan Open Rally 2005, which will begin on April 2. There are 6 competitive sections on both days covering 103 km and 98 km, respectively. Alternating each of these transport sections, which cover 110 km and 154 km, respectively, on the first and the second day.

The 460-km long track comprises of dust raising kutcha roads, hill terrain river beds, both dry and wet, hair pin bends etc, providing adventure, challenge and thrill as also calling for intelligent and skill full driving on the part of participants.

The rally is sponsored by Mount Shivalik Breweries Ltd and co-sponsored by the Chandigarh Administration. The total prize money is Rs 1.50 lakh.

The rally will be flagged off from St. John's High School, Chandigarh, on April 2, 2005 at 7 am. 

Bharat Cricket Club lifts Amartex cup
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 27
A fine display of fast bowling by Manpreet Singh (4 for 32) and Kulwinder Romi (4 for 13) enabled the Bharat Cricket Club (BCC) to lift the inaugural Amartex Cricket Cup by defeating the Bedi Cricket Club by 5 wickets in the final match played at the JR Institute of Cricket Technology. The tournament was organised by Panchkula District Cricket Association, affiliated with the Haryana Cricket Association.

Earlier in the morning, BCC skipper Rajiv Bhardwaj put the Bedi club to bat. A great opening spell with the new ball by lanky fast bowler Manpreet Singh reduced the Bedi club to 37 for 4 in 15 overs. Vineet Soni, Arun Singla, Ajay Desodia and Kulvir Singh were the victims of the bowler.

It was a half-century knock by Kailash Sanwal along with skipper Arpinder Bedi’s 32 gave some push to the score. Kailash’s innings of 54 included just one boundary off 118 deliveries prefaced. Kulwinder Singh Romi and Grish Bhanot, the duo of left arm spinners, hardly gave any chance to score freely to the batting team. Romi took 4 wickets. The Bedi club’s innings ended at 154 all out in 49.3 overs.

Chasing the modest total the BCC too had a bad start as both openers R.P. Singh and Rajeev Bhardwaj were back to the pavilion cheaply at a score of just 27 in the 8th over. Medium pacer Hemant Bassi claimed both wickets. Kamal Walia (29) and Sunny Sohal (25) played cautiously on their way to register 50-run partnership for the 3rd wicket.

The BCC romped home with 5 wickets in hand. Jai Kapil played a good knock of unbeaten 33 while Kulwinder Romi contributed valuable 28. The BCC achieved the target in 37.3 overs.

Chaudhary Chander Mohan, Deputy Chief Minister, Haryana, was the chief guest at the prize distribution ceremony.

Sunny Sohal was declared the best bastman, Saurav Arora the best bowler and Kulwinder Romi was awarded ‘Man of the Match’ for his all-round performance. Each of them were given a wrist watch. Kailash Sanwal got a VCD player as his ‘Man of the Tournament’ award.

Scores: Bedi Cricket Club 154 all out in 49.3 overs — Ajay Disodia 17, Kailash Sanwal 54, Arpinder Singh Bedi 32, Rakesh Purang 17. Manpreet Singh 4 for 32, Kulwinder Romi 4 for 13.

Bharat Cricket Club156 for 5 in 37.3. overs — R.P. Singh 16, Kamal Wali 29, Sunny Sohal 25, Jai Kapil 33, Kulwinder Romi 28. Hemant Bassi 2 for 32, Kailash Sanwal 2 for 38.