Tips on protecting children from summer heat
Our Correspondent

Mohali, May 1
Children should be protected during the harsh summer months from the blazing sun and intense heat. With the mercury soaring in the region, there have been a number of cases of children suffering from heat strokes and requiring immediate medical attention, stated Dr Vishal K. Singh of the Department of Paediatrics, Fortis Hospital, in an advisory note issued by the hospital in public interest here today.

Dr Vishal K. Singh said prolonged exposure to heat and humidity or inadequate fluid intake could cause various types of heat-related illnesses. Children and adolescents adjust more slowly than adults to changes in environmental heat.

Talking about heat cramps, he explained that they were the mildest form of heat injury and consisted of painful muscle cramps and spasms that occurred during or after intense exercise and sweating in high heat. The cramps were painful, especially in the legs, and were accompanied by a flushed moist skin and a low fever, usually less than 102° F.

The remedy was to move the child to a cool place and let him rest, remove his excess clothing and sponge him with a cool towel, make him drink cold drinks such as lemonade, Electrol water or Gatorade and stretch the cramped muscle slowly and gently.

He said heat exhaustion was more severe than heat cramps and resulted from a loss of water and salt in the body.

He said heat stroke occurred when the body’s heat-regulating system was overwhelmed by excessive heat. It was a life-threatening emergency and required immediate medical attention.

The symptoms were a high fever, usually above 104° F, warm and dry skin, loss of appetite, severe headache, vomiting and nausea, rapid heart rate, stupor or disorientation, lethargy and in severe cases, seizures.

The remedy was to remove excess clothing immediately and drench skin with cool water and constantly fan the skin. Place ice bags in armpits and the groin area and if the child was able to drink, give cold drinks or Electrol water.

1-mile race for junior boys, girls
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 1
The Sports Department, Chandigarh, will organise a one-mile race for junior boys and girls (under-14 and under-19) in the Sector 42 hockey stadium on May 4. The event is being organised to mark the birth anniversary (May 4) of world-famed athlete Rozer Bannister, who created the world record in one-mile race (3:59:04 seconds) in 1954.

The athletes born on or after May 1, 1992, for the under-14 group and May 1, 1987, for the under-19 group will be eligible to take part in the race.

They will have to bring attested copies of their date of birth certificates.

The race will start and finish at the main gate of the stadium.

The participants should report in front of the boxing hall in the stadium by 6.30 am sharp.

Round-the-clock complaint centre opened
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 1
Residents of the city can now call 4639999 round-the-clock to lodge their complaints regarding services provided by the Engineering Department of the Chandigarh Administration.

The Citizen Facilitation Centre, with regard to lodging the complaints, was inaugurated by Mr Lalit Sharma, Adviser to the UT Administrator, here today. The centre has been set up at the Additional Deluxe Building, Sector 9.

The city currently has nearly 35 complaint centres all over the city. A consumer often has to memorise quite a sizeable number of contact addresses to reach the correct officer.

In order to make the complaint lodging and its redressal more easy, the facilitation centre will work round-the-clock throughout the year, without a single break. The operators will be working in three shifts.

A consumer is expected to dial 4639999 and the call will be received on one of the four different set-ups at the centre. The operator will convey the complaint number to the consumer and forward it to the department concerned. At least 35 mobile sets have been provided to the call operators and the field staff of the existing complaint centres.

Depending on nature of the complaint, the field staff will give the tentative time for redressal of the complaint which will be conveyed back to the complainant. A supervisor of the department will be present during all shifts for overall monitoring.

Complaints which are pending beyond three hours will be conveyed to the respective SDOs, XENs or the SEs for immediate response. Information of any major breakdowns in the concerned areas after duststorm or heavy rains will be immediately conveyed to the senior officials.

Reports will be sent twice a day to the XENs and SEs and on a fortnightly basis to the Chief Engineer. The reports will pertain to details of complaints lodged, redressed and even those pending which will help monitoring at the higher levels. Daily power shutdown details will also be available with the centre.

5 SHOs shifted
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, May 1
Less than 24 hours after hesitation on part of the Chandigarh police to register cases was highlighted in these columns, the Chandigarh police today ordered a major reshuffle.

In all, five Station House Officers, along with four Inspectors, were shifted. At least, some of the postings were directly or indirectly linked to the matter pertaining to the non-registration of FIRs.

An order issued by the UT Inspector General of Police Satish Chandra said Inspector Mani Ram Kadiyan has been shifted from Sector 31 police station to Sector 34 police station while Inspector Ram Gopal, SHO, Sector 34 police station, has been shifted to the traffic police. Inspector Har Sahai has been transferred from the Special Crime Cell as SHO of the Sector 31 police station while Inspector Puran Chand has been posted SHO of the Sector 11 police station; he was earlier posted in the traffic wing.

Similarly, the SHO of Sector 11 police station, Inspector Suhkpal Singh, has been transferred to Sector 26 police station. He has replaced Inspector Prem Kumar Chauhan, who has been shifted to the traffic police. Inspector B.S. Negi, SHO of the Sector 19 police station has been replaced by Inspector Sukhdev Singh, who was earlier posted in RI Lines. Mr Negi has been shifted to the traffic police. Another Inspector Magi Ram has been shifted from traffic police to the RI Lines.

Licences of 4 liquor vends suspended
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 1
The Collector (Excise), Chandigarh, suspended the licences of four liquor vends in the city, a press note said here today. The licences have been suspended and show-cause notices served on the defaulters for selling liquor below the minimum prices fixed under the new liquor policy.

The L-2 licences have been suspended for 24 hours in case of M/s Sky Link Estates, Sector 34, M/s Saraya Industry, Sector 34, Mr Janak Raj, Sector 24, and M\s Surya Residency, which is situated along the road separating Sectors 45 and 46.