HEALTH

DMCH doctor wins first prize at national meet
Our Correspondent

Dr Manish Munjal

Ludhiana, March 1
A doctor from the ENT Department at the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) here, Dr Manish Munjal, has being awarded the first prize for his presentation on his endoscopic technique of surgery on newborns and children as young as one and a half-years old at the annual conference of the Association of Paediatrics ENT Surgeons of India (APOI).

Dr Munjal said earlier, nose surgery on the newborns, infants and children, was difficult and virtually a blind procedure undertaken by feeling the swelling with the fingers and then operating on it. This was associated with unnecessary and excessive bleeding, long duration of surgery and post-operative breathing problems due to damage to the normal tissues in the nose.

The traditional procedure was accompanied by other unforeseen complications, thereby, increasing duration of hospitalisation and expenses incurred on it.

In contrast, the endoscopic technique was precise, minimally invasive with magnified visualisation. It ensured a total clearance of the pathology with minimal bleeding, less hospitalisation and less number of post-operative check-ups.

According to Dr Daljit Singh, Principal, DMCH, the advanced endoscopic techniques developed at this institution had even gained recognition at the national level.

Stem cells hold hope for heart patients: experts
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 1
Stem cells or cells which can be made to grow into any type of body organ have emerged as a new hope for heart patients. This was the opinion expressed at the 52nd annual conference of the Indian Association of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons held in Bangalore earlier this week.

This was stated here today by Dr Harinder Singh Bedi, chairman, Cardiac Sciences, Ludhiana Mediciti Hospital, who was one of the invited speakers. He delivered talks on various aspects of heart diseases, especially on beating heart surgery which he had pioneered.

In his presentation on stem cells, Dr Bedi remarked that stem cells taken from a patient’s body and after being modified into CD 34 + cells (heart cells) were injected into the heart which had suffered from irreparable damage.

“A patient who previously could not even walk is now able to do his routine activity. Trials around the globe is now on to use this technology in previously hopeless cases,” he said.

During the deliberations, Dr Bedi interacted with Dr Bruce Lytle of the Cleveland Clinic in the USA. According to Dr Bedi, the US cardiac surgeon was very much impressed with the Indian surgeons and invitation was extended to him to come to Ludhiana Mediciti Hospital here as a visiting faculty.

Dr Philip Kay of Leeds, UK, also expressed interest in visiting Ludhiana.

Chickenpox vaccination must
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 1
Most cases of chickenpox occur in children less than 15 years of age. The incidence of the disease peaks in the first six months of each year, according to a city paediatrician, Dr Niraj Thapar.

It could occur in children and adults and most people contract chickenpox in childhood or adolescence. Adults who have not been infected before, are susceptible and can develop chickenpox in adulthood if they come in contact with those affected.

In children, chickenpox lasts about five to 10 days. During the period they must not attend school.

Even though the infection is self-limiting, at times serious complications could result from the disease which included bacterial infections.

Chickenpox could be prevented by vaccination but there were so many myths about the viral infection standing in the way of the immunisation programme, he said.

IMA to hold workshop on child health
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 1
The Ludhiana branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has been awarded one 'Capacity Building Workshop on the Contraceptive, Update Anemia and Adolescent Health'. The Union Government, under its Reproductive Child Health (RCH) project, has awarded 12 such workshops to be held in 15 different states all over the country.

Giving this information here today, the IMA district president, Dr Gursharan Singh, said one-day workshop would be organised at the Kapoor Memorial Hospital Auditorium here on March 12 and would deleberate on contraceptive update, including emergency contraception like 'Non Scalpel Vasectomy', anemia and adolescent health.

Dr Gursharan said the aim of the workshop would be to target general practitioners (GP's), who needed to update themselves for various advances in this field.

Dr Sunita Mittal, Prof and Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, AIIMS, New Delhi, Dr Anita Sabharwal, Family Physician and Gynecologist, Dr Avtar Krishan, Director, South End Routanda IVF Centre and Dr Ashok, Chief Medical Officer, RCH Project of India, will be the key speakers at the workshop.

The IMA chief has asked all those keen to attend the workshop, to get themselves registered as delegates with the IMA office or office of the Medical Superintendent, Kapoor Hospital. There is no registration fee but number of participants will be limited.

SPORTS

NRIs can help improve sports: Dara Singh
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, March 1
The Punjabis settled abroad can play a vital role in the promotion of games in the state. A number of Punjabis have well established themselves in foreign countries and they should contribute their bit to improve the standard of games in Punjab.

These views were expressed by the wrestler-actor and politician Dara Singh who was in the city to preside over the prize distribution function of the annual athletics meet of Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women here today.

Talking to the Ludhiana Tribune, the veteran wrestler opined that the sports arena required attention if our sportspersons were to make their presence felt at the international tournaments. The sports organisers are doing their duty by holding tournaments at different levels and now the individuals, including NRIs, and corporate houses should extend help to the government so that the required infrastructure and facilities could be provided to the deserving players, Dara Singh added.

He further said the sportspersons could excel only if a committed person was at the helm of affairs to look after their needs. He recalled the incident when the former Union Sports Minister, late Sunil Dutt, paid a surprise visit to a stadium in the capital and found major irregularities. This helped a lot in putting the things at place, Dara Singh said.

Asked about his present daily schedule, the former World Champion replied that he had worked a lot and now his health did not allow him to do anything which caused fatigue. I fought my last bout in Delhi in 1982 after which I bid good bye to the game. Now, I use to relax most of the time besides doing some work in TV serials, the veteran wrestler informed.

He was accompanied by the noted Punjabi actor-director, Harmail Pannu, Mr Nand Lal, member of the executive committee, BJP, Ludhiana unit, Mr D.P. Khosla, Mr Deepak Kumar and Mr Rajesh Paul.

Sports meet ends
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, March 1
The two-day annual athletics meet of the Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women concluded at Guru Nanak Stadium here today. Actor-turned-politician Dara Singh, Member of Parliament, was the chief guest during the prize distribution function.

Dr Madanjit Kaur Sahota, Principal of the host college, along with Mr Sarwan Singh, president of the college management committee, Lala Lajpat Rai, a former member of the Rajya Sabha, and other prominent personalities were also present on this occasion.

Students who were honoured were powerlifter and judo players Rajni, Harmeet Kaur, Ranjit Kaur, Rakhi, Pooja, Asha, Seema, Pooja, Duggal and Kamaljeet, and softball and baseball players Baljit Kaur, Harpreet Kaur, Rubi, Rajneesh, Rubina and Renu.