HEALTH

'Tobacco claims 5 million human lives every year'
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 23
Tobacco use is a serious public health challenge in several regions of the world. It has assumed the dimension of an epidemic resulting in enormous disability, disease and death. The World Health Organisation considers tobacco to be the singlemost important cause of preventable deaths worldwide. It is estimated that every year five million preventable deaths occur globally which can be attributed to tobacco use.

In a lecture on tobacco-related health problems here, Dr Akashdeep Singh,pulmonologist at Christian Medical College and Hospital, cautioned that if the tobacco consumption continued at this rate, the number of such deaths was expected to double by 2020.

"Many of these deaths occur in the productive years of life as a result of an addiction acquired in young age. In addition to damage to personal health, tobacco use results in severe societal costs like reduced productivity, healthcare burden, environmental damage and poverty. The degree of destruction caused by the tobacco use to the individual and society surpasses the returns generated by tobacco production in terms of revenue and employment."

He said India was the second-largest producer and consumer of tobacco in the world. In India, tobacco was used in various ways like smoking, chewing, applying, sucking, gargling etc. For each type, a wide range of products were available. "Beedi smoking and smokeless products are the most prevalent forms of tobacco use in India. Tobacco use in all forms is unsafe for human health."

Dr Akashdeep Singh maintained that tobacco use caused a wide range of diseases which affected nearly every organ of the body. These included several types of cancer, heart diseases and lung diseases.

In India, he stated, the prevalence of tobacco use among men exceeded 50 per cent and in women it was around 25 per cent. The tobacco-attributable deaths in India ranged between 800,000 and 900,000 per year. Cigarettes kill one in two smokers prematurely, half of these deaths occurring during middle age. The failure to understand the magnitude of the harm that tobacco caused was one the biggest reasons for its wide use across the nation.

DMCH celebrates Flag Day
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 23
The medical and nursing students of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital today participated in the Flag Day celebration, which was a part of week-long 'communal harmony campaign and fund-raising week', observed under the aegis of the National Foundation for Communal Harmony from November 19 to 25 every year.

The function was organised by the Department of Physiology and Dr Lily Walia, Professor and Head of the Department, was its co-ordinatior.

The students displayed their talent in various activities, including declamation contest, choreography, poster contest, slogan contest and few solo dance and song performances. The air was reverberating with notes of patriotic songs and walls were decorated with the colourful posters and slogans with inspiring thoughts about national integration.

The function was presided over by Ms Rajni Bector, CEO of Cremica Industries. Among those present on the occasion were Mr Dharamvir Bector, Vice-President, DMCH Managing Society, Dr Daljit Singh, Principal DMCH, Dr Jagdeep Whig, Vice-Principal, along with other faculty members.

Ms Bector emphasized upon the students to pave the way for united India. She criticised those politicians, who were out to divide the country on communal lines for their vested interests. In his speech, Dr Daljit Singh exhorted the students and teachers to maintain communal harmony and foil all attempts to divide the society on the basis of caste, creed or religion.

The results are:

Slogan - 1. Kshitij Dhuria (MBBS Batch, 2006), 2. Prabhjot Kaur (MBBS Batch, 2005)

Poster - 1. Rajni (B.Sc 4th Year), 2. Ramandeep (B.Sc 3rd Year)

Choreography/Short Play - 1. MBBS Batch, 2006 (Short Play), 2. B.Sc Nursing 1st Year (Choreography)

Declamation - 1. Suhasini (MBBS Batch, 2005), 2. Hemjot (B.Sc 2nd year)

SPORTS

Western Railway eves emerge hockey champs
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, November 23
Excelling in pace and power, the Western Railway (WR), Mumbai, yesterday defeated the Central Railway (CR), Mumbai, 3-1 to clinch the title in the 10th All-India Mohinder Partap Singh Grewal Women's Hockey Tournament.

The tournament concluded at the Prithipal Singh Astroturf Stadium of the PAU here.

The winners were leading 2-0 at the half-time. Shangai Chau put WR into the lead through a field goal in the 17th minute and three minutes later, Anu Sonkar converted a penalty corner to make it 2-0. The Central Railway eves made repeated attempts to equalise the score but failed to translate the chances which came their way. The WR players added another goal in the 49th minute which came off R.Mallick's stick. Trailing by three goals, the Central Railway eves went allout and also secured six penalty corners in the process, but their attempts were thwarted by the WR's agile defenders. However, they managed to score the face-saving goal in the 56th minute when Sangeetha converted a penalty corner to make it 3-1.

In the match to decide the third position, last year's champions, the Northern Railway, Delhi, got the better of the South Eastern Railway, Kolkata, 8-7 to redeem some prestige. The issue was resolved in the sudden-death period. Chan Chan Devi of the Western Railway was adjudged the best player of the tournament. Reena and Parvashni, both of SAI, Chandigarh, shared the highest scorer prize while the SAI, Chandigarh, was declared the most disciplined team.

NBA team to visit Jarkhar
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, November 23
A team from the National Basketball Association (NBA) of America will visit Jarkhar village on December 10. The team will be in the village to monitor the rural sports culture in Punjab.

The annual sports festival at Jarkhar will be held under the patronage of the Punjab Rural Sports Promotion Council from December 7 to 10 during which competitions in basketball, volleyball, handball and hockey will be conducted.

A meeting of the organising club met here today with its chairman, Mr Narinder Pal Singh Sidhu, in the chair. The meeting reviewed the preparations being made for the conduct of this festival.

After the meeting, Mr Balbir Singh, president of the club, informed that the NBA team would be received by Mr Rajdeep Singh Gill, DGP, Punjab and president of the Basketball Federation of India. Mr Singh said the sports promoters, including NRIs, were extending cooperation in organising the festival. Channa Alamgir from USA, Mohan Jodhan, Pamma Ratna, Kaka Mohi, Charanjit Singh of Vishawkarma Industries, Sarabjit singh from UK, Sarabjit Singh Kooner from Canada besides others are helping in all sorts to conduct the festival smoothly and successfully.

The noted Punjabi singer, Gurdas Mann, will entertain the spectators on December 10, Mr Singh said. The organsing club will also honour sportspersons and sports promoters for their outstanding conribution in the field of games.

This year, Dhanraj Pillay (hockey), Thakur Udhay Singh Namdhari and Master Bhupinder Singh of Ghaloti (sports promoters) and Inderjit Nikku would be felicitated, he said.

Hind Kesri Dangal on Nov 26
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, November 23
Top wrestlers of the region would be seen in action during the Hind Kesri Dangal to be organised by the Rustam Club here at the PUDA ground, Phase II, Dugri, on November 26. According to Rustam-e-Hind, Sumer Singh, president of the club, the dangal is being organised in the memory of Pehalwan Puran Singh.

The winners in different weight categories would be given cash prizes besides mementoes. Mr Sumedh Singh Saini, Inspector General of Police, Punjab will be the chief guest at the function, Mr Sumer Singh said.