From Colleges
Non-teaching staff observe strike
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 17
On a call given by the Centre Body of Government Aided Private Colleges, and the Non-Teaching Employees Union, Punjab and Chandigarh, the Arya College Non-Teaching Staff Union observed a strike here today.

The strike was observed in support of their demands like merger of 50 per cent DA with basic pay, pension, gratuity and release of full 95 per cent grant to all aided colleges.

The strike was observed under the presidentship of Raj Kumar Malhotra.

“We will observe the strike every Tuesday on the college premises till February-end if our demands are not met,” said Mr Malhotra.

City boy excels: Shreyansh Jain of Makkar Institute here secured 19th rank in the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India Examination, result of which was declared on January 14. He scored 312 of 400 marks.

Pradeep Makkar of the institute said around 5,000 students appeared in the Chartered Accountants Professional Education-I (CAPE-I) examination and only 30 students from all over the country were selected each year.

Award: Sonal Sisodia, Assistant Professor of Management, Synetic Business School, here secured second position in “Anveshan — a key to innovation”, a research paper competition, held at the Centre of Entrepreneurship, Incubation and Leadership, Amity Business School, Noida, recently.

She had presented her research paper “Understanding Employment Patterns — a research study of select small scale firms of Ludhiana District”.

The participants comprised academics and corporates from India as well as other countries.

The winners were awarded with a trophy, certificate and cash prize.

Ms Sisodia has already presented research papers at various national and international conferences.

Students take part in vaccination drive
Our Correspondent

Samrala, January 17
A polio vaccination drive was organised by NSS volunteers and NCC cadets of senior and junior division of Government Senior Secondary School, Ghungrali Sikhan (Ludhiana), at the village and its nearby areas.

It was held under the guidance of Principal Gurmeet Kaur Dhaliwal, NSS programme officer Jatinder Kumar, Jatinder Kumar and Narinder Pal, in-charges of senior and junior divisions, respectively.

An inauguration ceremony was performed by school Principal at the village.

The volunteers and cadets helped the Health Department in administering polio drops to children below five years at Ghungrali Sikhan, Sangatpura, Bhangalan, Unchi Bondal, Jhamlutti and Dyalpura villages with the assistance of in-charges of the NSS and the NCC, in-charge of the village Primary Health Centre and its staff members.

NSS camp concludes
Our Correspondent

Khanna, January 17
The concluding function of a 15-day National Service Scheme camp was organised by the A.S. College for Women in association with the Khanna district police on the college premises here today.

Mr Naunihal Singh, SSP, Khanna, was the chief guest of the function. He interacted with students of the college. He told them about the functioning of the police.

The principal of the college thanked the chief guest, the college staff and students.

HEALTH

Meeting on gynaecological oncology on Jan 22
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 17
The quarterly meeting of the Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society of Northern India will be held here on January 22. The meeting is being organised by the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Mohan Dai Oswal Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation, in which nearly 200 medical professionals are expected to take part.

Dr Veena Jain, a gynaecological oncologist and Head, Department of Gynecology at the institution, said the meeting would be held on “Malignant gynaecology and benign gynaecologist”.

Experts from their respective fields will deliver lectures on different types of gynaecological cancers like those of cervix, ovaries, along with their diagnosis, treatment and preventive aspects with special reference to the role of the HPV in etiology of carcinoma cervix and use of the HPV vaccine in prevention.

The faculty will comprise speakers from prestigious institutions, including the PGIMER, Chandigarh, the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, Government Medical College, Shimla, and Oswal Cancer Hospital, Ludhiana.

According to Dr Jain, who is also the organising secretary of the meeting, Dr G.K. Rath, Head, Department of Radiation Oncology, AIIMS, New Delhi, will speak on trends in radiation oncology in treatment of gynecological cancers, Dr Lalit Kumar, medical oncologist from AIIMS will deliver a lecture on role of chemotherapy in epithelial ovarian cancers, Dr Vanita Suri from the PGIMER will discuss about the prevention of cervical cancer using HPV vaccine, Dr Vanita Jain from the PGIMER will focus on the role of tumor markers in gynecological cancer and Dr Lakhbir Dhaliwal from the PGIMER will speak on surgical management of carcinoma cervix.

The meeting will have free paper session for young doctors and gynaecological oncology quiz for postgraduates.

A panel discussion on the management of gestational trophoblastic tumors will be coordinated by Dr Veena Jain.

She further said a special guest lecture on management of breast cancer in pregnancy would be delivered by Dr Satish Jain, Medical Director and chief of Surgery and Surgical Oncology at the host institution.

Destitute gets new lease of life
Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, January 17
Sudhir (13), a migrant boy from Musahara village in Samstipur district of Bihar was found lying on the footpath on the Jagraon bridge in a semi-conscious state with multiple diseases when Dr Naurang Singh Mangat of Guru Amar Das Apahaj Ashram took him to the Civil Hospital and later to Guru Teg Bahadur Charitable Hospital for treatment.

Dr Mangat said when he came across the boy on January 11, he found him writhing in pain, with very few clothes on and unable to move. Sudhir had deep wounds on his legs and his feet were swollen. Apparently, he seemed to be suffering from jaundice and kidney problems. Hunger and exposure to cold had further aggravated his condition.

Dr Mangat immediately arranged for some food and bought clothes for him. Thereafter, the boy was admitted to the Civil Hospital with the help of two labourers—Hari Ram and Gopal Yadav. With little improvement in his condition, Sudhir was today shifted to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital.

“An anonymous person is donating medicines for him. But still, there are a lot of expenses involved and Sudhir also needs blood,” Dr Mangat said.

He said the ashram would take care of his expenses and try to rehabilitate him after he was discharged from the hospital. But any assistance from the large-hearted Ludhianvis would be useful, he said.

About the activities of the ashram for underprivileged persons, poor students and destitute women, he said the ashram had recently distributed blankets among the poor and sweaters and shoes among needy students.

At a personal level, Dr Mangat had donated a sewing machine to a disabled girl and has been sponsoring the education of about 15 students.

“A few months ago, I founded Guru Amar Das Centre for Destitute and Disabled in the city for which I am working as a full-time volunteer. It is a charitable organisation with the main objective of extending help to the poor section,” he said.

Seeking support from like-minded people and philanthropists, Dr Mangat said the Trust being a newly registered one, it did not have an office or building. 

Pulse polio drive
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 17
The NCC girl cadets of 3 Punjab Girls Bn NCC Battalion remained in the forefront at the second round up of the mopup pulse polio programme which concluded here today.

At least 25 girls cadets each from Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women and Khalsa College for Women accompanied the health staff during the door-to-door campaign to administer polio drops in areas of Railway Colony, Chaura Bazar and Chandigarh Road.

The medical staff of the NCC (girls unit) accompanied the cadets, who worked with dedication during the three-day campaign.

According to Lt-Col Avtar Singh, Commanding Officer of the unit, girls NCC cadets had been participating in several other community welfare programmes on a regular basis. 

DMCH counters claim on paediatric ICU
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 17
The claim that Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) here had set up a well equipped paediatric ICU, the first of its kind in the state, has evoked reaction from several other institutions.

According to the management of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), a Paediatric ICU was set up at DMCH six years ago in January 1999 under the stewardship of Principal Dr Daljit Singh.

Dr B.K. Jain, Professor and Head, Department of Paediatrics, said the paediatric ICU had been upgraded to a eight-bed unit and shifted to the new Prem Nath Gupta ICU Block of the hospital in January, 2005.

“The unit is fully equipped with sophisticated modern monitoring gadgets, including a central monitoring system, advanced ventilators, multifunctional monitors, cardiac defibrillators and infusion pumps.”

He said the demand for paediatric intensive care was on the rise and an average of 560 children were admitted in the paediatric ICU in the institution every year. About 100 of these required mechanical ventilation annually.

Dr Puneet A. Pooni had undergone special training in the U.K. and Australia. The unit had a separate neonatal intensive care unit in the department.

Dr Jugesh Chhatwal, Head, Paediatrics, CMCH, however, justified the CMCH claim, saying that the upgraded paediatric ICU was exclusively dedicated to critical care of the children.

“We never wished to convey the impression that other major institutions in Punjab did not have paediatric ICUs,” she added.