Ludhiana, November 13
Hectic lobbying and canvassing is on in the city as well as elsewhere in the state for the election of three members from amongst qualified doctors to the Punjab Medical Council (PMC), scheduled to be held on November 28.The nominations having been filed by the contenders and the date for withdrawal of candidature being over, nine candidates, including four from the mega city, are left in the field.

The PMC, set up by the state government, under the Act, has three elected members, with the president and three more members nominated by the state government for a term of three years. The elections are held through postal ballot and little more than 14,000 eligible voters will elect members to run the affairs of the PMC for the next three years, along with their nominated counterparts.

Out of the nine candidates left in the fray, after the withdrawal of nomination papers, a city laparoscopic surgeon, Dr Anurag Goswami, Dr Amrik Singh Bhatia (Amritsar) and Dr H.S. Mann (Jalandhar) are being supported by the Doctors Welfare Panel, working under the patronage of Dr R.C. Garg (Barnala), an immediate past president of the Punjab branch of the Indian Medical Association(IMA).

Dr Garg, himself a candidate for PMC polls, has decided to retire in favour of the candidates, now being backed by the Doctors Welfare Panel.

On the other hand, another local candidate, Dr Balbir Singh Shaha, a pathologist in Dayanand Medical College and Hospital here, has joined hands with Dr Vijay (Patiala) to fight the elections on the promise of making the PMC an effective body and medical fraternity more accountable.

A father-son duo of Dr Rajinder Hora and Dr Rajiv Hora, both from this city, and Dr Balcharan Singh (Amritsar) were among the other candidates trying their luck for the three posts of elected members.

In an interaction with mediapersons, Dr Goswami claimed that the three-member Doctors Welfare Panel was a fine blend comprising an academician, a pioneer of diagnostic field and a private practitioner, who could contribute a lot to the council with their collective wisdom and capabilities.

Dr Shaha, who released his election manifesto in a well-attended meeting here last week, strongly felt that medical education and health services in the state needed a lot of improvement. At the same time, he conceded that the PMC with a majority of four nominated members, including the president as against three elected by the medical fraternity, had been rendered a toothless body.

Dr Shaha, an activist of the DMC Teachers Association and the IMA, in the presence of Dr Vijay, vowed to check the menace of quackery and make medical professionals more accountable and sensitive towards the people.

According to Dr Goswami, the Doctors Welfare Panel was committed to motivating doctors to follow medical ethics, promote continuing medical education, evolve a mechanism to safeguard doctors from frivolous complaints, strict compliance of the PNDT Act and greater interaction with all other professional bodies.

Ludhiana, November 13
Diabetes mellitus is a disease of metabolic disorder that has one common feature - hyperglycemia (elevated blood glucose level). Hyperglycemia may occur as a result of reduced insulin secretion, decreased usage of glucose in the body and increased glucose production.

Says Dr Ashish Saxena, a consultant physician in Apollo Clinic here: "Diabetes mellitus (DM) is mainly of two types - type one DM is caused by the inability of the pancreas to secrete insulin. It can be treated with the help of insulin injections. Type two DM is usually hereditary in nature. It can be treated with the help of diet control, exercise and oral hypoglycemic agents."

He observed that type two diabetes was growing in epidemic proportions all over the world. India was also registering a rise in the number of diabetic patients every year. At this rate, the country unfortunately would outnumber other countries in terms of number of diabetic patients very soon.

The most disturbing fact was the appearance of type two DM in the younger population, including children and adolescents. Changes in lifestyle and food habits had led to the development of this unfortunate phenomenon, he emphasised.

Dr Saxena, who is an academic member of the Research Society for the Study of Diabetics in India, further remarked: "Studies conducted at the All- India Institute of Diabetes have identified that apart from heredity, some other factors can also be responsible for the increase in the number of diabetic patients. These factors are - high consumption of fats, diets rich in carbohydrates, junk food and cola drinks, a diet depleted in fiber and Vitamin E (an anti-oxidant), physical inactivity and a stressful lifestyle."

Dr Saxena pointed out that undetected and untreated, DM affected multiple organs of the body.

"Chronic diabetes mellitus can cause damage to the retina of the eye and cataract. It can damage nerves, leading to numbness and pain and damage kidneys and lead to coronary artery disease . Not only this, chronic DM can also affect the skin, urinary system and cause sexual dysfunction."

On preventive steps and subsequent complications of diabetes, he asked the people to follow a regimen of a balanced diet, avoid excessive amount of fats and carbohydrates in the diet, maintain ideal body weight, avoid junk food and cola drinks, and include an exercise programme in their daily schedule.

Meanwhile, in a note of caution to the mothers-to-be, Dr Vineeta Munjal, consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital here, stated that pregnancy was a condition of great stress and as a result of huge metabolic changes that occurred during pregnancy, even non-diabetic individuals could show changes of metabolic disorders like those of diabetes mellitus.

Emphasising a good 'diabetic control' throughout the pregnancy, as well as proper care of the newborn, she said this would lead to reduced complications associated with pregnancy in the diabetic women, such as recurrent abortions, still birth, intra-uterine death or an abnormally large-sized baby, and low glucose or calcium levels in the baby.

Therefore, pregnancy in all diabetic women should be planned with thorough counselling, so much so that if the blood sugar levels were uncontrolled, pregnancy should be postponed. At the same time, there should be a meticulous evaluation for the presence of diseases of the eyes, kidneys or the nerves.

"The expectant mother is always worried whether her newborn will also be a diabetic. Babies born to well-managed diabetic mothers do not always have diabetes. However, in uncontrolled diabetes, the baby can quickly develop low sugar levels and must be under constant supervision. Though children of diabetic fathers are not affected during pregnancy, but depending on the type of diabetes the father has, the baby might have a greater chance of developing diabetes later in the life."

Dr Munjal was emphatic that diabetic mothers-to-be were required to adhere to a strict diet chart adjusted according to 35 to 40 calories per kilogram body weight in pregnancy. Pregnant women could home-monitor the blood glucose levels once the dose of medication had been calculated and could even be taught to inject insulin themselves. Oral hypoglycemic drugs also had to be switched over in favour of insulin therapy, as the oral drugs had a tendency to cause malformation of the foetus.

She remarked that as a routine, screening tests for diabetes were performed during the ante-natal period and those with impaired tests were counselled to shed off their extra kilos and follow a disciplined lifestyle of regular exercise and healthy eating habits.

Ludhiana, November 13
More than 150 patients were examined at a free eye check-up camp, which was organised by the Lions Club under the supervision of Dr Ravinder Kochhar, president of the club, at Lord Mahavira Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital here yesterday. Medicines were given free of cost to the patients.

Prominent eye specialists Dr Manju Gupta and Dr Manoj Gupta examined the patients. Those identified at the camp in need of surgical correction, will be operated upon free of cost on November 18.

Dr Ashok Puri, Lion Regional Chairman, inaugurated the camp. Prominent among those present at the occasion were Dr R.K. Verma, Mr Kesho Ram, Mr Y.P. Ghai, Mr Girish Anmol Sood, Mr G.S. Chauhan, Mr S.K. Sood, Dr R.K. Garg and Mr N.K. Dutta.

Another free medical check-up camp was organised by the Bhagwan Valmiki Jan Kalyan Sanstha at Punjabi Bagh Colony here on Sunday. More 300 patients were examined at the camp.

The camp was inaugurated by the Minister for Science and Technology, Punjab, Mr Rakesh Pandey. Mr M.R. Azad, state president of the body, Mr Ajay Kumar Sidhu, Mr Sita Ram Shankar and Mr Walaiti Ram Kundra were also present on the occasion.

Ludhiana, November 13
Mata Sahib Kaur Academy of Jarkhar and the PAU Academy won their respective matches to qualify for the 5th All India Jagtar Singh Memorial Hockey Tournament at the Prithipal Singh Astroturf Stadium at the Punjab Agricultural University campus here today.

In the qualifying round, the Jarkhar academy lads, after trailing by three goals, bounced back into the game and scored a comfortable 9-5 victory over the Bahadurgarh Academy. In the second match, the PAU Academy outclassed the Grewal Academy of Kila Raipur 2-0.

Charanjit Singh scored a hat-trick for the Jarkhar academy. Other scorers were Malvinder Singh, Harnek Singh, Ajmer Singh, Gagandeep Singh, Harinderjit Singh and Sangram Singh. For the PAU Academy, Savinder Singh and Gagandeep Singh scored a goal each.

According to Mr Gurindaer Preet Singh, secretary of the tournament organising committee, in the inaugural match of the tournament slated to begin on November 14, the Jarkhar academy would take on the Javed Hockey Club of Pakistan. The first match would start at 10 am. Other matches to be played on Tuesday are: Air India v PAU Academy at 11.30 am; SAI, Lucknow, v Amritsar XI at 1 pm and SAI, Patiala, v SAI, Orissa, at 3 pm.

Ludhiana, November 13
The hockey team of Guru Nanak Model Senior Secondary School yesterday won the hockey cup by defeating the team of Shakti Public School in the three-day 8th Dr Ishwar Singh Memorial Divali Hockey Tournament organised at Guru Nanak National College, Doraha. The tournament concluded yesterday.

Prof B.S. Pangli, general secretary, College Managing Committee, conducted the prize distribution function. Mr Jaswant Singh Gill, and Dr Narinder Singh Sidhu, Director and Principal of Guru Nanak National College, respectively, Prof R.S. Pali, chairman of the tournament, Prof Kuldeep Singh from Government College for Girls, Ludhiana, Mr Anil Prabhat Mehta, Mr Adarsh Pal Bector, Mr Baljeet Singh, a hockey player, Mr Madan Mohan Sharma, Prof Manpreet Kaur and Prof Tashwinder Singh were present on the concluding day of the tournament.

On the second day of the tournament, Mehta Gurukul Public School, Kaddon, got a walk over in the first quarterfinals. In the second match, Shakti Public school, Doraha, defeated Government High School, Rampur, 4-0. In the third match, Nankana Public School, Kila Raipur, beat Government Senior Secondary School, Sahnewal, 5-0. Guru Nanak Model Senior Secondary School, Doraha, defeated Government Senior Secondary school, Doraha, 3-0 in the third match.

On the concluding day, Shakti Public School, Doraha, beat Mehta Gurukul Public School, Kaddon, 5-0 in the first semifinals. In the second semifinals, Guru Nanak Model Senior Secondary School, Doraha, defeated Shakti Public School, Doraha, 2-0.

The winning team was given a cash prize of Rs 3,100 and a trophy, while the runners up team was given a cash prize of Rs 2,100 and mementos. 

Ludhiana, November 13
Local lads Pranav Chopra and Raj Kumar created history by clinching men’s doubles title in the Punjab State Badminton Championship, which concluded at the Raizada Hans Raj Stadium, Jalandhar, yesterday.

Pranav and Raj Kumar’s performance is of great significance because the pair rattled in the final their much experienced opponents Harinder of Patiala and Sahil Arora of the PSEB. Two lads, who are in the early teens, quelled a strong challenge from Harinder and Sahil to win the title.

The Ludhiana pair wrapped up the first set 21-16, but went down fighting in the next one 19-21. In the third set, Pranav and Raj Kumar kept their nerves and survived three match points to win it 25-23, which also enabled them to emerge champions.

Raj Kumar and Pranav Chopra were felicitated for their stupendous performance by the Ludhiana Badminton Academy at a function held at Sahstri Hall of Guru Nanak Stadium here today. Giving details of their dream run to the title, Mr Anupam Kumaria, secretary of the academy, said Raj Kumar and Pranav had to play the qualifying round and in the semifinals they overpowered international players Vijaydeep and Navdeep. Vijaydeep has represented India in the Thomas Cup five times.

Mr Kumaria further said it was after a gap of 22 years that the Ludhiana shuttlers had won title in a state meet. Arun Dhand from Ludhiana won the title in 1984. He expressed gratitude toward Mr T.P.S. Puri, in charge of 2010 Commonwealth Games, for selecting Pranav and Raj Kumar for the preparatory camps. “These camps are really helping the boys in maturing their game,” Mr Kumaria opined.