HEALTH

Workshop on TB control
Our Correspondent

Mohali, May 30
A sensitisation workshop and state-level Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) review meeting for Civil Surgeons and District TB Officers was organised by the Government of India at Punjab Health Systems Corporation here today.

Ms Rita Teaotia, Joint Secretary, Health, Government of India, was the chief guest. The meeting was presided over by Mr D.S. Guru, Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Punjab. Dr L.S. Chauhan, Deputy Director General, Govt of India and Dr G.L. Goyal, Director Health Services, Punjab, were also present. On this occasion, all the Civil Surgeons and District TB Officers of the state were sensitised regarding the technical and operational aspects of the RNTCP.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Guru said in Punjab, the RNTCP was implemented in a phased manner in 2001, starting with Patiala district, which was selected as a pilot district. By December 2004, the whole state of Punjab was covered under the RNTCP. The RNTCP was an application of the WHO—recommended strategy — the Directly Observed Treatment Short Course Chemotherapy (DOTS) — to control Tuberculosis. Under this revised strategy, the main diagnostic tool was sputum microscopy.

He further said that the State TB Control Society was in place for the supervision and monitoring of the programme throughout the state and the District TB Control Societies were the key organisational units responsible for the implementation of the programme in the districts and was supported by subdistrict TB units established for every 5 lakh population to serve as a link between district and periphery. To further decentralise diagnostic and treatment services, Designated Microscopy Centre had been established for every 1 lakh population. There were 279 Designated Microscopy Centres in the state of Punjab and these centers had been provided binocular microscopes.

Shun tobacco: Rodrigues
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30
The UT Administrator, Gen (retd) S.F. Rodrigues, has called upon the people of Punjab and Chandigarh to initiate a mass movement awareness campaign against the ill effects of tobacco.

Sounding a note of caution about the dangers in the use of tobacco, General Rodrigues said on the eve of World No Tobacco Day that the use of tobacco products kills people and deprives families of their breadwinners.

SPORTS

Mohali win Dhruv trophy match
Tribune News Service

Mohali, May 30
The Mohali team inflicted victory over Ropar on the basis of first innings’ lead in the Punjab Inter-district U-19 Cricket Tournament for Dhruv Pandove Trophy held at PCA stadium, here today.

Replying 115-run innings of Ropar, Mohali scored 155 runs in the first innings thus gave a lead of 40 runs.

In their second innings, Ropar scored 145 at the loss of 9 wickets in 23.6 overs.

Mohali did not need to complete the second innings while deciding on the result and they scored 56 for 4 in 24.1 overs at the end of last day’s play.

Brief scores: Ropar (1st innings): 115 all out in 36.1 overs; Mohali (1st innings): 155 all out in 87.4 overs; Harpreet 56, Gunjot 24, Navneet 20. Krishan Kumar 5 for 61, Sukhdev 3 for 32 and Abhinav 2 for 14.

Ropar (2nd innings): 145 for 9 in 23.6 over; Harman 54, Jaswant 12; Nikhil 4 for 36.

Mohali (2nd innings) (not competed): 56 for 4 in 24.1 overs; Gurkirat 22 and Yuvraj 25; Krishan 2 for 18, Karamjeet 2 for 8.

The second match played between the Chandigarh and Patiala teams at DAV, Sector 8, ended in a draw. The decision was taken in the wake of the Patiala team not been able to complete their first innings. Brief scores: Chandigarh (1st innings): 372/8 in 95 overs; Sumit Dhiman 86 not out, Naresh Gogian 88, Gurkirat 49, Sarul Kanwar 37; Amitoj 4 for 85, Kanwar Raina 2 for 65.

Patiala (1st innings): 136 for 3 in 46 overs; Kanwar Raina 35, Amitoj 20, Perry Goel 38 and Jeevanjot 23; Naresh Gogian 1/35, Japneet 1/40.

Time for Indian shooting to look up: coach
Akash Ghai
Tribune News Service

Mohali, May 30
The recent performance of Indian shooters at the international level has given a fillip to the popularity of the sport here.

Renowned shooting coach Sanjay Chakraborty feels that it is high time that players get places in sport administrations as well as associations concerned to uplift the sport and produce more medals.

Chakraborty, whose protegee Anjali Vedparkash has won accolades the world over, is in the town to impart training to established shooters of Punjab in a 10-day camp for 10 metre Rifle and Pistol events, being organised by the Punjab Rifles Shooting Association at Mohali Shooting Range.

He praised shooters like Abhinav Bindra and Avneet Kaur for their extraordinary performances in big events, which also helped in ending the dominance of Maharashtra shooters.

“For the past 12 years, Maharashtra shooters had been dominating the proceedings but I felt happy with the emergence of Punjab shooters. The time has come to prepare our players for podium finishes in the 2008 Beijing Olympics,” said Chakraborty, who feels that Indian shooters have the potential to win Olympic medals.

Briefing about his training programme in the camp, he said: “As the players (attending the camp) are not novices, I will focus on their body as well as mental balance. Building up concentration level and physical fitness will also be high on agenda.”

Along with Chakraborty, former shooters Swarnjit Kaur and Veerpal Kaur will guide the trainees in the camp. Veerpal is the coach of Avneet Kaur, who won a gold and a silver medal in 10 m Rifle event at Commonwealth Games-2006 at Melbourne.

“We start training at 9 am and culminate at 5 pm daily,” said Swarnjit Kaur, who is also joint secretary of the Fatehgarh Rifle Association.