The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

PGI conference on new lung diseases tomorrow
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 6
To update physicians on the recent developments in chest diseases and respiratory critical care, the Department of Pulmonary Medicine of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here will hold its 21st Annual Continuing Medical Education Programme on Sunday.

Over 150 medicos from Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi are expected to participate in a discussion on Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILDs).

Dr DK Jindal, Head of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine, PGIMER, addressing mediapersons, said the ILDs was a group of diseases new to practising doctors and commonly overlooked and misdiagnosed.

“These diseases primarily involve the lung interstitium. The ILDs are increasing in magnitude throughout the world. Although not as frequent as airway diseases (such as asthma) and respiratory infections (tuberculosis and pneumonias), the ILDs are particularly important since these are mostly progressive and relentless in course,” claimed Dr Jindal.

Dr Jindal said that five to 10 patients suffering from ILDs were being reported to the PGIMER every week. The diseases were prevalent among people aged 40 and above.

“The most important primary ILD is called idiopathic ILD or pulmonary fibrosis. In this condition there is progressive fibrosis (scarring) causing shrinkage of the lungs. Progressive breathlessness or dry cough is the most important symptom. The disease generally makes the patients bedridden and subsequently progresses to respiratory failure within a few years,” he explained.

Environmental exposure to chemical and biological agents, organic dusts and drugs constituted the group of “hyper-sensitivity” or allergic pneumonias. Some of the common ILDs were secondary to systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Exposure to inorganic mineral dust led to these diseases, added Dr Jindal.

After Ramji, PGI Childline rescues his sister
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 6
A day after five-year-old Ramji was restored and lodged at Bhagat Puran Singh's Pingalwara at Palsora, his younger sister Pooja was also traced and restored.

Rehabilitating her, however, was a problem as the Sector 26 Nari Niketan, UT Administration's official home to receive abandoned children, was unfit to shelter children. It was housing a large number of mentally disabled women these days. Besides, it had no separate living arrangement for children and no in-house therapists or counselors.

In the absence of any other place to lodge neglected girl children, the Chandigarh Child Welfare Committee, which is following up Ramji's case, had no choice but to send the boy's younger sister Pooja to Nari Niketan. They will try to relocate her at Bal Niketan in Sector 15 tomorrow morning. "We hope Bal Niketan authorities would be willing to take Pooja as it is not advisable to keep the child at Nari Niketan," said a committee member.

Pooja was brought to the committee this afternoon after two volunteers from PGI's Childline traced her. She was missing for the past two days. She was spotted today begging for alms in the back plaza of Fun Republic, where the two children, Ram and Pooja, had been residing for months after the death of their mother. Their father, who is severely infected with TB, has not been seen for the past two months.

After being restored, Pooja was sent to Nari Niketan , a place which the UT Administration has stretched beyond limits. Originally meant to be a reception home for beggar women and those caught under the Immoral Trafficking Act, it was now housing mentally disabled women as well. And now the administration has further declared it as a reception home for neglected and abandoned children. Ironically, the Niketan has absolutely no facilities to handle sensitive cases such as those involving children. The place has no access to tools of cognitive development.

Social workers have long been hammering the need to shift mentally disabled women out of Nari Niketan to a place where they can seek the treatment they require.

Rahul, Honey clinch golf titles
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 6
Chandigarh's Rahul Bakshi defeated Rashid Khan on the first play-off hole to clinch the senior category 'A' title of the Sunfeast Chandigarh Junior/ Sub-Junior Golf Championship, which concluded at the par-72 Chandigarh Golf Club here on Friday.

Rahul Bakshi who shot a final round of five over 77, finished the event with a tally of 287, same as Rashid Khan who managed a one-over 73 today. In the ensuing play-off, Bakshi managed a par while Rashid missed an easy four feet putt to hand over the title to Bakshi.

In the junior-most category 'D' , Master Honey clinched the title with a round of 80 for a combined tally of 240. Vidit Singh who shot an 83 finished second at 244, while Akash Srinivasan finished third at 247.

The prizes were given away by Asia's top golfer Jeev Milkha Singh.

Scores (after 72 holes):

Category A (15-17 yrs): 287 Rahul Bakshi (72, 70, 68, 77), 287 Rashid Khan (69, 74, 71, 73) (Bakshi won on the first play-off hole); 296 Amanjyot Singh (72, 77, 72, 75); 301 Kanishk Tulsyan (76, 77, 70, 78), Abhijeet Chadha (74, 73, 78, 76).

Category B (13-14 yrs): 307 Raghav Bhandari (75, 74, 79, 79); 313 Anish Gupta (76, 74, 82, 83); 315 Chikkarangappa (78, 73, 81, 82).

Category C (11-12 yrs): 305 Ashbeer Saini (80, 76, 76, 73); 320 Ankur Chadha (81, 76, 85, 78); 328 Tarundeep Chadha (82, 80, 82, 84)

Category D (10 and below) (54 holes): 240 Master Honey (84, 76, 80); 244 Vidit Singh (82, 79, 83); 247 Akash Srinivasan (83, 81, 83).

Gajendra joins CLTA
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 6
India’s top international tennis coach Gajendra Singh has joined the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA) as Director Coaching. Gajendra Singh will be responsible for CLTA’s training programme and developing promising players of Chandigarh to their full potential.

He has earlier worked as the official coach of the Davis Cup tennis team of Syria. He has also coached a number of Indian men and women Davis Cup and Fed Cup team members.

He is equally anxious to modernise the skills of CLTA coaching faculty to make the coaches more professional. He feels that promoters from the business world must step forward to sponsor the players, as is being done in Europe, Australia and America. Mr Rajan Kashyap, Chairman, CLTA, has assured all help to Gajendra Singh to help him achieve excellence in the sport.