Chandigarh, June 3
Fortis Healthcare opened its multi-speciality City Centre at Sector 9 here today. An extension of the main hospital in Mohali, the City Centre is set up to offer healthcare facilities to residents of Chandigarh and Panchkula, and is providing advanced services across 19 medical specialities, including cardiology, dermatology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, general surgery, gynaecology, neuro surgery, orthopedics, plastic surgery and pulmonary.

The Fortis Healthcare also plans to introduce the “Home Health Services” in the near future, under which the doctors could visit the patients at their homes, instead of the later coming to the hospital for consultation.

The UT Administrator, Gen S.F. Rodrigues (Retd), inaugurated the City Centre and said the emphasis of any health programme should be to reach out to the people in the rural and inaccessible areas.

Highlighting the various health problems ailing the region, the Administrator said healthcare set-ups like Fortis should also get involved in various social healthcare programmes for the benefit of the common man. “There is a need for good diagnostics services, development of infrastructure support and finding answers to the problems like emergence of cancer in Mansa in Punjab,” said General Rodrigues.

Impressed by the Fortis Outreach Programme, through which Fortis Hospital, Mohali, has conducted over 2,200 OPDs, free health camps and public lectures all over the region, Gen Rodrigues urged Fortis to involve itself in a public-private partnership in Sanjivni, an initiative of the government, which was accepted by the top management team of Fortis, led by its chairman Mr Harpal Singh.

Earlier Mr Harpal Singh said, “In the region, Fortis has established itself in a very short period of time by providing benefits to patients through a combination of technology, innovation and empathy.”

Mr Shivinder Mohan Singh, Joint Managing Director, Fortis Healthcare Limited, said, “The Fortis City Centre will provide the best of expertise delivered with a human touch. We have a high quality team staffing each department and each member carries the attitude that successful treatment begins with patient care. Fortis City Centre, with world class facilities, will make it the preferred healthcare destination for Chandigarh patients.”

Panchkula, June 3
In a bid to popularise eco-tourism and popularize the advantages of herbs, Haryana Urban Development Authority is developing a herbal garden in Sector 26 here. This Herbarium Park will have over 250 exotic varieties of medicinal plants and shrubs.

Officials say that this park is being developed on 8. 80 acres of land, reclaimed from the river Ghaggar. This garden is being developed in two phases. In the first phase, land topography has been improved, boundary wall erected, grass planting finished and plantation of the exotic herbs has started.

A sum of Rs 15 lakh has been earmarked for this phase, while a sum of Rs 25 lakh has been earmarked for the second phase- which will include construction of pathways, erecting planters and indicators about the plant and its uses, benches and other civil works.

HUDA officials say that they have started planting the medicinal plants and herbs. But a majority of the herbs will be planted when the monsoon sets in, they say. Herbs and medicinal plants specific to the lower Shivaliks - from Morni and Parwanoo - are being planted here. Almost 250 varieties of medicinal plants, including Gheekwar, Amla, Akarkara, Harar, Bil, Arjun Ashok, Neem, Rudraksh, Reetha, Safed Musli, Jatropha etc., will be planted. Most of the herbs are being procured from the herbal garden in Chuharpur in Yamunanagar and from Forest Research Institute, Dehradun.

Officials feel that setting up of the garden will help educate the residents of the benefits of these herbs and need for conserving bio-diversity. It may be noted that more than 250 different varieties of herbs and medicinal plants are found in Morni hills. The Forest Department has made several efforts to popularise these herbs in Morni — by making a CD on the varieties of herbs; and publishing of a book on these herbs and their medicinal qualities, besides creating a model herbal garden at Morni, by showcasing all these varieties.

Officials say that an information centre will also be set up in the garden.

This centre will circulate leaflets being prepared on the use of herbal varieties planted in the garden. The leaflet will contain details like name of the variety, its family, the part of the plant used for cure and uses.

Chandigarh, June 3
Tamil Nadu team toppled Maharashtra in a well-contested tie in for team championship (men section) at 21-17,16-21, 15-12, 21-16, 21-13 in the ongoing 16th Senior National Sepak Takraw Championship being held at St Joseph’s Senior Secondary School, Sector 44, here today.

In the women’s section team championship contest, Manipur clinched the title, beating Orissa in a one-sided affair. The score was 21-10, 21-12, 21-10, 21-17 in favour of winners.

Other team championship results:

Men’s section

Tamil Nadu b Chandigarh 21-16, 19-21, 15-8/ 21-13, 16-21, 15-7

Andhra Pradesh b Uttar Pradesh 14-21, 17-21/21-16, 21-12/ 21-19, 21-5

West Bengal b Maharashtra 17-21, 21-11, 15-10/ 21-18, 5-21, 15-9

Manipur b West Bengal 21-5, 21-5/ 21-11, 21-12

Delhi b Andhra Pradesh 21-14, 21-15/ 21-15, 21-8

West Bengal b Chandigarh 21-15, 21-14/21-11, 21-14

Women’s section:

Assam b Andhra Pradesh 21-8, 21-13/ 21-10, 21-7

Orissa b Maharashtra 21-10, 18-21, 11-15/ 21-6, 21-13/ 21-13, 22-20

Andhra Pradesh b Himachal Pradesh 21-8, 21-7/ 21-10, 21-9

Nagaland b Maharashtra 21-14, 21-15/ 16-21, 21-14, 15-12

Orissa b Delhi 19-21,21-14, 16-17/ 24-22, 21-18/ 21-11, 9-21, 17-15

West Bengal b Himachal Pradesh 21-12,21-5/ 21-2, 21-13

Delhi b Maharashtra 13-21, 18-21/ 13-21, 21-14, 15-10/ 21-15, 21-12

Chandigarh, June 3
DAV Senior Secondary School-8 and Sonnet Club of Delhi recorded victories in their respective pool A and B league fixtures in the Chetan Sports Foundation Under-14 Cricket Tournament being played at the DAVSSS-8 grounds here today.

DAVSSS-8 maintained their winning spree after beating United Club of Delhi by 54 runs for their third successive triumph from three matches in the Pool A five-team round robin programme.

Vishal batted with authority to pile up 85 runs with the help of 11 brilliantly executed fours and wrecked United Club’s innings by taking five wickets for 16 runs.

DAVSSS-8 batted first and scored 147 for 9 in stipulated 25 overs. In reply, United Club were dismissed for 93 in 22.2 overs.

With this win, DAVSSS-8 have ensured a place in the semifinals from their group.

At the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium, Sonnet Cricket Club trounced Chetan Cricket Academy by seven wickets. After bowling out Chetan Cricket Academy for just 79 runs in 22.3 overs, Sonnet Club achieved their target by scoring 80 for 3 in 14 overs. Kunj was their star batsman as he made an unbeaten 46 with the help of eight fours.

Brief scores:

At DAV Senior Secondary School-8: DAVSSS-8: 147-9 in 25 overs (Vishal Thind 85, Karan Thakur 19, Sahil Bansal 19, Vikas 3 for 25) bt United Club Delhi: 92 in 22.2 overs (Shitiz 43, Rahul Chara 5 for 16, including a hat-trick) by 54 runs.

At Sector 16 Cricket Stadium: Chetan Cricket Academy : 79 in 22.3 overs (Sahil 26, Akshat 15, Sahil 26,Vikas 3 for 9, Kunal 2 for 16) lost to Sonnet Club, Delhi : 80 for 3 in 14 overs (Kung 46 not out, Saket 10 not out) by seven wickets.

Ropar, June 3
Parneet Rana of Mohali has been selected to participate in the World Swimming Championships to be held in Canada this year while Ropar girl, Pomy Mandal, who had won five gold and one silver medal in the Sub-Junior Championship held in Sangrur from May 27 to 29, has been selected to participate in the national championships. She was the only girl selected from

Punjab to participate in the national championship, said the president of the Punjab Swimming Association, Dr R.S Parmar, here this evening.

Besides this, he said that with a view to improving the relationship between India and Pakistan, a team of Pakistan Swimming Association would participate in events in the month of August organised by the Punjab Swimming Association while a team of swimmers from Punjab would participate in various events to be held in Pakistan in September.

Dr Parmar said that the Punjab Swimming Association would pay Rs 10,000 to every swimmer of Punjab who would won gold medal in national swimming events.

Chandigarh, June 3
‘Dodgeball has a great future,” says the newly elected president of the Dodgeball Federation of India, Mr A. Venu Prasad. He said the sport was popular in schools but was played informally. Even cricketers had training sessions in dodgeball. There was no organised way of conducting tournaments or training as no governing body had existed.

He said in order to formalise it, the first national dodgeball championships would be held this month. Last month, the federation held a seminar-cum-camp where people from six state units took part.

He said for every new sport, it was essential to first set the rules. Initially the sport would have to pass through a tough phase since people might not be so enthusiastic. About recognition with the Indian Olympic Association, he said for the next three years, it would monitor the sport but as the federation is affiliated to the International Dodgeball Federation based in the USA, it has the backing to strengthen its case.

Chandigarh, June 3
The Chandigarh Sub-Junior and Junior State Wrestling Championship, organised by the Chandigarh UT Wrestling Association, commenced at Wrestling Centre, Sector 30, here today.

The meet was inaugurated by Mr I.S. Malhan, former District Attorney of Panchkula, and Mr Arjun Singh, vice-president of the association.

Around 100 grapplers are taking part in this three-day meet.

Today’s results: under 42 kg — Gagandeep beat Mukesh, Mukesh beat Anand; under 46 kg — Maninder beat Mandeep, Vishal beat Sachin; under 50 kg — Ram Mehar beat Sonu, Sarwan beat Pardeep; under 54 kg — Sunil beat Mukesh, Krishan beat Balwinder; under 58 kg — Surinder beat Jagminder, Mukesh beat Vinod; under 60 kg — Jatinder beat Balwinder; under 63 kg — Jagminder beat Sandeep, Ashok beat Badal, Ajay beat Rinku, and Parveen beat Bajinder.

Under 69 kg — Gurmail beat Parveen, Jaspal beat Baljit, and Babru Bhan beat Shiv Narain; under 76 kg — Manbir beat Naresh; under 85 kg — Bajinder beat Hasti, Bhupinder beat Joginder, and Jatinder beat Lovepreet; above 85 kg — Jagmit beat Parveen.

Final bouts of the sub-junior and preliminary round of the junior categories will be held tomorrow from 9 am onwards.