The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

CMC makes strides in emergency stroke-care facilities
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 30
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the world, and in many cases patients end with partial/complete disability for the rest of their life. Now complete reversal of paralysis, that is, complete normalcy can be attained if the patients receive emergency medical care within three hours on the onset of symptoms. And this has been made possible by a dedicated infrastructure and specialised stroke team manned by Dr Yaspal Singh, Head of the Department, Neurology and Dr Jayaraj D. Pandian, Lecturer Neurology, at the Emergency and Trauma Centre, Christian Medical College and Hospital here.

Having attended the World Congress of Neurology at London and a six-week training in three renowned neurological centres in the USA in the recent past, Dr Jeyaraj said, “The CMC provides the latest and most effective diagnostic and therapeutic facilities for stroke treatment. There has been a revolutionary change in stroke care since the introduction of intravenous thrombolysis, a preventive therapy wherein a drug named Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activate (r. TpA) if administered within three hours on the onset of symptoms can result in significant reversal or even complete reversal of paralysis within a time period of 24 hours to three months, depending upon the severity of attack.”

Stroke (also called a bran attack) is a form of cerebrovascular disease that occurs when an artery bringing oxygen and blood to the brain becomes clogged or ruptured. This results in the damage of brain cells, which may lead to speech difficulty, varying degrees of paralysis, loss of memory and in extreme cases, death.

If you witness any of the following symptoms: sudden weakness in one side of the body, sudden deviation of mouth, inability to speak, imbalance while walking, sudden loss of vision or double vision, sudden headache, emergency medical care should be sought quickly.

The Department of Neurology, Christian Medical College and Hospital, also runs a special headache clinic every Thursday (2.30 to 4.00 p.m.) and a special epilepsy clinic every Friday (2.30 - 4 p.m.) besides regular neurology OPD six days a week.

Pulse polio campaign
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 30
About five lakh children (0-5 years) of the district will be given pulse polio drops on December 2, 2001, and January 20, 2002.

To make this campaign successful, Municipal Commissioner R.L. Kalsia flagged off a pulse polio rally here today from Civil Surgeons’ office. Dr Neelam Bassi, District Family Welfare Officer, and Dr A.K. Sinha, Programme Officer, were also present on this occasion.

Dr Kuldeep Kaur Sahni, District Vaccination Officer, in a statement said that 1968 posts have been set up in the district to provide polio drops to the children. To cover the slum areas, the Health Department has arranged mobile teams, Dr Sahni added.

Yesterday also a pulse polio rally was flagged off by the Civil Surgeon, Dr Rajinder Kaur, from the office. The rally was organised to make the people aware of providing polio drops to their children between the age group of 0-5 years.

Healthy baby show
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 30
A healthy baby show was organised at Suman Nursing Home, Model Town, here today.

Over 60 children below the age of five years were assessed by Dr Neeraj Thapar, Dr Vani Thapar and Ms Pratibha. The kids were adjudged on the basis of growth and development, hygiene and social behaviour. The kids were checked up for their height, weight, medical fitness, dietary habits, speech and response.

The contesting kids were divided into five groups, below six months, six months to one year, one to two years, two to three years and three to five years of ago.

Free juices, candies and gifts were distributed. Mr Harshvir Singh and Gagan Duggal from Eli Lily Ranbaxy coordinated the show.

SPORTS

Women athletes sad to leave Punjab
Asha Ahuja

Ludhiana, November 30
Now that the National Games are coming to an end, the young female participants are sad to bid adieu to the city. From the far-flung island of Nicobar, the young teenaged cycling team found Punjab and Punjabis amazing. They went into raptures over the Punjabi cuisine, The velodrome located at Punjab Agricultural University took their breath away. Cecily said that the velodrome back home was low in height and small. Moreover, their cycles were not of the latest models. To top it all, their team was disqualified on some technical grounds. So not to disappoint them, all of them were asked to join other teams.

Not dejected by this set back, the team members staying in the hostels of Khalsa College for Women were boisterous and were generally happy at a change of scene. Susan said: “Nicobar is on the road to development now. We are pleased to stay in such a huge sprawling campus as there are no colleges in Nicobar. If we want to have higher education then we have to go to Port Blair. Though ours is a tiny island, the scenic beauty is breathtaking. But we have liked the open stadium and our boarding and lodging arrangements as they have been excellent”. When they were asked about the status of women in Nicobar, they said in unison, “The girls and boys are treated at par. The boys are not given any preferential treatment. We are so glad there are no dowry deaths in our island. Infact the dowry system is not prevalent in Nicobar. There are few cases of eve-teasing. In our society joint family system is preferred. There are no hassles between daughters-in - laws and mothers-in laws”.

“We speak Hindi and Nicobari, and since most of us are Christians, we celebrate Xmas with real zeal and enthusiasm. Some of our team members are in Chandigarh to take part in water sports. Now that time has come to say goodbye to the city, we are rather sad, but we are carrying happy memories of our sojourn in Ludhiana,” said the girls.

The Manipuri hockey team also shared more or less the same views as that of the Nicobari girls as far as living in joint families was concerned. The boys after getting married stays with his parents unless he is posted outside Manipur. They do not have the dowry system . Only a few well-off families give gifts to the boys on the engagement and not at weddings. Thoibi, a small petite girl, said that the major difference she found was in the physique of the Punjabi girls and Manipuri girls. She said,” Punjabi girls are taller and better built than Manipuri girls. We are petite, but like Punjabi girls, we are also fashion conscious and there are innumerable beauty parlours in Manipur”. Thoibi said, “After taking parents’ permission, the boys and girls are allowed to meet. Generally we go for love marriages. The marriageable age is between 20 to 25 years. There is no preference for the male child and the girls are equally valued too.”

Bambam said that they have considerable amount of freedom and mercifully there are very few road romeos to indulge in eve-teasing. But all the girls said that they enjoyed the National Games and their stay in Ludhiana.

They all had a whacky time shopping and dancing and creating mischief with other sports persons of other states. They found the salwar suits quite reasonably priced in Ludhiana . They enjoyed their matches, their stay, the hospitality, the appetising and wholesome Punjabi food though very different from their home food.

They said they would cherish the fond memories of their stay in Ludhiana, and the message that they want to give Punjabi girls is to be independent and take pride in being a girl.

ADMINISTRATION

Special drive to improve hygiene
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 30
A special drive has been launched to upgrade general hygiene level and control jaundice in the Haquiqat Nagar and New Patel Nagar areas of the city. This was stated by Mr S.K. Sandhu, Deputy Commissioner, Mr Sandhu, Mr R.L. Kalsia, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation and the Civil Surgeon, along with the teams of doctors and officials, visited the New patel Nagar and Haquiqat Nagar areas.

Mr Sandhu directed the Civil Surgeon to send teams of doctors to door to door in the area for the proper care of the people.

Mr Sandhu appealed to the people of the area of take precautions and asked them to use boiled water for drinking and take care of personal hygiene cleanliness. He asked the people to clean their water storage tanks and cover them. Mr Sandhu further appealed to the residents of the area not to eat cut fruits, rotten or over ripe fruit and vegetables. He also asked the people not to drink sugarcane juice also.

Mr Sandhu directed the Civil Surgeon and Municipal Corporation authorities to gear up and mobilise their teams in the affected areas where the chances for the outbreak of jaundice and viral fever were high. He also directed residents to immediately contact the nearby dispensary if they had any problem.

Mr R.L. Kalsia, said that concentration of chlorination in water had been increased and the tablets of the chlorine were being distributed to be put in the water tanks to purify it.

Mr Kalsia further said that special teams had been sent to improve the hygienic level in the area and covered containers were being kept in the streets for garbage. Mr Kalsia, reacting on a complaint by the residents residing near temples, said that he had told the officials for paying special attention to cleanliness in the religious places of the town.

Ownership rights for tenants sought
Our Correspondent

Mandi Gobindgarh, November 30
The Chief Secretary, Punjab, had issued directions to municipal councils in the state in March this year to transfer ownership rights to the holders/tenants on the payment of 20 per cent value of the property fixed by the Deputy Commissioners concerned on which general deeds were executed. However, the implementation of the order is still awaited.

Mr Ajit Singh Verma, president, Punjab Municipal Tenants Welfare Association has alleged that some municipal councillors have fixed the value of the property much higher than the rates fixed by Deputy Commissioner, which is beyond the capacity of the tenants who had already paid lakhs of rupees to the municipal councils in the shape of rent.