Bathinda, April 7
A girl student of class X committed suicide by jumping before a speeding train on the Bathinda-Dabwali railway line here today.

The Sahara Jan Sewa, a local NGO, got a phone call in the morning about a body lying on the railway tracks near Phulomithi village.

A volunteer of the NGO Kulwant Singh reached the spot and informed the Government Railway Police (GRP) about the body.

Kulwant said the body was cut into two as it got crushed under a speeding train.

The NGO volunteer said the body of the deceased girl was naked and some of her clothes were lying beside the railway tracks.

The investigating officer, Assistant Sub-Inspector Malkit Singh said the girl was identified as Veerpal Kaur, the daughter of a labourer residing near the railway lines in Phulomithi village. The official stated that it appeared that the girl's clothes had worn to shreds after the train run over her body.

The deceased's father, in his statement recorded with the GRP, cited poor class X examinations as the reason behind his daughter taking the extreme step. He told the GRP that the girl failed to perform well in the English and Science exams.

"We are still investigating the case and inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC have been initiated in this connection at the GRP police station," Malkit said.

It is pertinent to mention here that on March 24, a student of BA-II had committed suicide after she failed to perform well in the English exams. She was a resident of Partap Nagar.

Bathinda, April 7
On the World Health Day today, city doctors laid emphasis on keeping hypertension at bay to ensure a healthier life.

The theme for the World Health Day this year is high blood pressure. With luxuries intruding the rural pockets, the villagers too have started showing signs of hypertension. There are no signs or symptoms of hypertension, which is now the most prevalent chronic disease.

The Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) centre run on the premises of the Civil Hospital has been getting a significant number of hypertension patients from villages. "Hypertension is not as prevalent in the rural areas as it is in the cities, but it has now made its presence felt," said District Health Officer Dr RS Randhawa.

He added that to commemorate the day, a string of awareness campaigns will be held at sub-centres and the main hospital. "The main aim is to make people aware of the harms of rising blood pressure and the ways to keep it under control," he said.

Dr Milinda from the Health Street Hospital said Punjabis above 35 years of age should undergo blood pressure check-up every six months. "We are getting young hypertension patients who are in their early 30s. Sedentary lifestyle, wrong eating habits, smoking and alcohol intake are the common reasons for the disease," she said, adding that efforts should be made to lead a lifestyle without stress. She advised youngsters to avoid multi-tasking that generates stress and deteriorates one's health.

Cardiologist Sharad Gupta of Max Hospital said 70 per cent of people above 40 years of age could be hypertensive while 30 to 40 per cent of them suffer from coronary heart diseases (CAD). He said a number of hypertension patients were on resistant hypertensive drugs. "It means that these patients are prescribed three to four drugs together. Despite being given this pattern of medication, their blood pressure overshoots," he said.

Bathinda, April 7
In an increasingly stressful world with increasing hectic lifestyle, simple changes like cutting down on salt intake and quitting smoking can decrease the chances of getting high blood pressure by up to 50 per cent.

Dr Ashish Kansal (MD, Medicine), Civil Hospital, Talwandi Sabo, said this while addressing a gathering at a seminar organised at Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo.

The seminar was organised by the Women Club of the university to mark the World Health Day. Dr Kansal was the chief guest on the occasion. The day is celebrated every year on April 7 to mark the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1948.

Each year, a theme is selected for the World Health Day that highlights a priority area of public health concern. The theme selected to celebrate the day in 2013 is high blood pressure.

The seminar aimed at making people aware of the causes and remedies for high blood pressure. The seminar was attended by the students and faculty members of the university. The chief guest delivered a lecture on hypertension. He spoke to the audience about the effects of hypertension on human body.

If left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can cause blindness, heart attack and paralysis, he said. The risk of developing these complications is higher in the presence of other cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, he added. He added that high blood pressure is preventable and treatable.

While addressing the students, vice-chancellor of the university, SK Ahluwalia said improving the health of students is one of the major responsibilities of an educational institution.

Health must always be at the heart of the global development agenda, the VC said, and added that students should share the information with their parents and friends to raise awareness about the causes and consequences of high blood pressure.

Bathinda, April 7
The cyberknife, frameless robotic radio surgery system is regarded as the best in the line of cancer treatment as it targets only the affected organs leaving out the healthier ones and allows patients to go back home early.

The members of the Bathinda chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) said this while interacting with media persons here today.

President of the local chapter of the IMA Dr Shiv Dutta Gupta and secretary Dr Rohit Goyal said recent advances in the treatment of cancer — like the cyberknife — ensure less trauma to the healthier cells and concentrates radiation treatment.

"The effect of radiation on healthy body parts is quite less. While a conventional chemotherapy session may last for 30 days, with the cyberknife, the patient undergoes a radiation cycle of just five days and can go to work on the sixth day," said Dr Rohit Goyal.

He added that since the radiation is precise, there is minimum effect on the healthy body parts. "Most patients undergoing chemotherapy suffer from side-effects like itching in the skin and swelling in other parts of the body. They are unable to even drink water and suffer from many other problems," he added.

Nearer home, the facility is available at Medanta Medcity Gurgaon. The IMA is also holding a continuing medical education (CME) programme on the recent advances in cancer treatment wherein Dr Tejender Kataria and Dr Aditya Gupta from the Medanta will update doctors in the city.

The doctors demanded that the government should regulate the prices of drugs for treating cancer and ensure there is uniformity.

"The drug that carries a maximum retail price of Rs 10,000 has an actual price of Rs 3,000. Cancer patients already feel let down due to their poor physical condition. Taxing such patients with expensive medicines means ushering in mental and monetary trauma too," the doctors added.

Bathinda, April 7
A health awareness programme was held at the Goyal Hospital, Ajit Road, to mark the World Health Day today.

Bathinda Mayor Baljit Singh Birbehman speaks at a programme held to mark the World Health Day in the city on Sunday. A Tribune photograph

The Bathinda Brotherhood Club and Sanjeevani Foundation organised the awareness programme wherein Mayor Baljit Singh Birbehman was the chief guest. Around 130 patients were examined and given free consultation. Free diagnostic tests such as blood sugar, echocardiography, body mass index and neuropathy tests were conducted.

Dr Ashok Goyal spoke about coronary heart diseases. He suggested different strategies that should be adopted to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep hypertension and associated heart ailments at bay.

Prominent among those present at the programme were Kamaljit Mehta, Suresh Goyal, Bhupinder Jain, Dr Sneh Lata, Dr TS Nagpal and members of the Bathinda Brotherhood Club and Sanjeevani Foundation.

Bathinda, April 7
A day after a member of the gurdwara committee and a female worker were accused of indulging in aimmoral activity inside the gurdwara at Kot Shamir village, the police arrested the duo today.

A case under Section 295-A of the IPC has been registered against the accused, Jagdev Singh and the woman, after the intervention of Sikh priests.

The duo was booked following the complaint of a village resident Malkit Singh Pappi, who spotted the duo in compromising position inside the gurdwara on April 4 morning.

"They did the unholy act at a holy place," the complainant said, adding that nobody was present in the gurdwara when the incident occurred.

He said usually everyone leaves the place after ardas (prayer) in the morning and only those reading the religious scriptures were left behind besides the person distributing 'prasad' to visitors.

"I entered from the rear door of the gurdwara to take the Holy Book to the house of a woman in the village. While she waited outside, I entered inside the gurdwara to make the enquiries for the purpose," Pappi said.

He added the duo become conscious after spotting him and left the place in a jiffy.

The matter was brought to the notice of gurdwara manager and others.

Villagers and panchayat members demanded stringent action against the accused.

Bathinda, April 7
The Norah Richards Art and Theatre Foundation, Bathinda, today staged a play 'Mukti' at the Balwant Gargi Open Air theatre in Rose Garden here.

The play, written by Kumar Sagar of Moga and directed by Keval Bansal of Bathinda, threw light on the increasing number of persons staying in old-age homes across the nation.

"Our play showcased the story of a man who wishes to go abroad for a better future but doesn't want to take his mother along. Hence, he decides to send his mother to an old age home. He has a change of heart once he goes there and realises his mistake," said Kulwinder Sidhu, who played the character of the mother in the play.

Kulwinder is known for her role in the National Award-winning film 'Anne Ghode Da Daan'.

Talking about the play, Bansal said, "There has been an increase in this alarming trend. If both husband and wife are working, they consider the elderly persons in the family as burden and prefer to send them to old-age homes as they don't have time to take care of them."

While Bunty Agnihotri played the role of the son Sunil Khurana played the role of an old person whose children left him at an old-age home. Keval Bansal played the role of the manager of the old-age home.

Bathinda, April 7
The revision in the rates of medical facilities at the government health facilities will hit the poor hard.

The Punjab Health System Corporation (PHSC) had earlier revised the rates in 2001. Though the out-patient department (OPD) slip rate has only been increased from Rs 2 to Rs 5, the charges for medico-legal report (MLR) have been quadrupled to Rs 200.

Even the per day charge of general ward has been hiked six times, from Rs 5 per day to Rs 30 per day. The cost of major surgery has been doubled from Rs 375 to Rs 750. Though doctors and medics term the increase as minimal, poor patients are crying foul.

"The state government does not have to bear the burden of the Centrally-sponsored health schemes. Instead of providing health services at cheaper rates, the government has increased the cost of medical services," regretted Jangir Singh, a resident of Amarpura Basti.

President of the Sahara Welfare Society, an NGO, Vijay Goyal, said the hike would hit the poor and those living below poverty line (BPL), who cannot afford even two square meals a day.

The hike in charges has been notified to all the civil surgeons, medial superintendents and blood bank in-charges at the government hospitals.

The charges of blood banks too have been revised. The service charge for testing blood transfusion in government hospitals would now be Rs 300, which costs Rs 750 in private hospitals.

However, patients suffering from thalassaemia, obstetrics haemophilia, cancer, leukaemia, roadside accidents and burns exceeding 37 per cent will be treated free of cost.

For use within the hospital, whole human blood will cost Rs 300 while it would cost Rs 1,000 if used outside the hospital in a private set-up.

The charges of X-ray have also been increased from Rs 40 to Rs 70 while that of echocardiography (ECG) has been increased from Rs 25 to Rs 40.

Bathinda, April 7
To improve the teaching standards and the way teachers behave with the students, the education department has decided to organise a fresher course for the teachers. The course, however, will not be all work and no fun. The camp will be organised at the Peacock Island in Guwahati. The teachers will be able to enjoy the beauty of the place while learning about the ways to tackle the students.

The course, which is being organised in collaboration with the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), is scheduled to be held from April 15 to May 4. The department has also issued a long list of rules for the course.

The department has mandated that the teachers going for the course should not be above 50 years of age. The department has also notified that only those teachers who have not taken part in any similar courses are eligible to undergo the course in Guwahati. The teachers, willing to undergo the course, have started submitting their details with the department.

Talking about the course, District Education Officer, Amarjit Kaur Kotfatta, said, "Only ten teachers from the district will be sent for the course. We've asked the teachers to submit the details and the department will then take a decision. Opposed to the common perception that a large number of teachers would want to undergo the course, I think only those teachers would wish to go who really want to learn something."

She also added that such courses help in enhancing the quality of education in government schools. "When teachers return from such courses, there is a marked difference in the way they deal with the students. Such courses help the teachers understand the psyche of the children better,” the DEO said.

Bathinda, April 7
The dates for the three-day state-level under-16 basketball tournament were announced by the Basketball Association. The tournament will be held in Bathinda from April 25-28. Teams from all the districts of the state will converge in the city for the tournament.

Gurjant Singh Brar, general secretary of the Basketball Association of Bathinda, said the tournament will be held in Khalsa School. “Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka will be the chief guest at the closing ceremony. We are yet to decide the details about the opening ceremony,” he added.

The tournament was to be held on April 6-7. Foreseeing trouble during the hearing of the Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim on April 6, the tournament was later postponed. — TNS