HEALTH

How to prevent food poisoning

FOOD poisoning cases usually increase in summer and rainy season. It affects persons of all age groups. Many people are sensitive to certain foods and suffer a food allergy when they eat them. The unpleasant symptoms in the digestive tract may be similar too, but are not true cases of food poisoning.

The usual symptoms of true food poisoning are nausea, severe vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain experienced four to 30 hours after eating the infected food. To these may be added double vision, muscle weakness, headache, cold sweats, prostration, collapse and rarely death. These are the symptoms of a severe intestinal infection, which is what food poison usually is. It is caused by bacteria that grow in food which is not handled properly.

Bacteria can grow rapidly when certain foods, especially meats and dairy products, are not prepared carefully or left at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees. The bacteria produce a poison that causes an acute inflammation of the intestines.

The germ or microbe that causes it usually belong to the group called salmonecalla, through staphylococci.

Prevention and general remedies:

• Wash your hands, cutting boards and counter tops frequently. After handling raw meat, wash your hands and utensils before preparing other foods. Do not eat meat, dressing, salads, or other foods that have been kept for more than two hours between 40 and 140 degree.
• Use a thermometer to check the temperature in your refrigerator. It should be between 4 and 40 degree.
• Keep party food on ice. Do not eat raw eggs or sauces made with raw eggs.
• Discard any cans or jars with bulging lids or leaks.
• When you eat out, avoid rare and uncooked meat. Eat salad bar and deli items before they get warm.
• The most important thing to remember in treating food poisoning is that an inflamed stomach tends to go into spasm when stretched, resulting in vomiting. Consequently, if you are vomiting and take any thing by mouth, it should be in very small quantities at frequent intervals.
• Do not consume any milk or dairy products during and for at least 72 hours after an episode of food poisoning. Take complete rest and have frequent small sips of barley/rice water, salted lime juice. Once you feel ready to eat, start slowly, with easily digested foods such as mashed bananas, bread toast and diluted juices.
• Take ginger, tea thrice daily. It helps stop nausea and cleanse the digestive tract, as well as provides fluids.
• When reheating soups, sauces and gravies, bring them to rapid boil, if possible, cook for at least four minutes.
• Take the Lavanbhaskar powder one teaspoon twice daily with lime water.

30 get free medical aid
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 14
As many as 30 persons living below the poverty line were given free medical advice and medicines here yesterday at a free dispensary set up by some volunteers of the Pritam Nagar area who had joined hands to form a group under the aegis of the Sangam Welfare Society.

The dispensary was inaugurated by Mr Rajiv Katna, councillor of the area. Dr Inderjit Kaur provided medical advice to the patients.

According to Mr Nitin Kumar, president of the society, the dispensary would be opened for the people twice a week on Saturday and Tuesday. He said the volunteers would work for the uplift of the poor.

DMCH management blamed for attack on union members
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 14
The DMC and H Employees Union today blamed the management for an attack on certain members of the union.

Mr Chander Mohan Kalia , president of the union, said while there was only one union at the college, the management had also raised a parallel union comprising some of its loyal workers so that genuine demands of the workers could be undermined.

He said the management was trying to blame the union for the attack by describing it as a matter between the two groups of workers.

Mr Kalia alleged that the management was giving out of turn promotions to workers of their own union and was backing them fully so that they could terrorise the workers and make them quit the original union.

CMC entrance test rescheduled
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 14
Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, has postponed the entrance examination of the MBBS/BDS/B.Sc. Nursing courses scheduled for July 18 to July 25. The college authorities said if any applicant did not receive the admit card by July 21, he/she should contact Registrar office by the telephone (0161-5010809).

SPORTS

Coaching young athletes his mission
Anil Datt

About the Indian athletes' prospects in the international tournaments, Nirmal Singh expressed the confidence that with the best available facilities in the country at present, boys and girls are determined to fare exceedingly well.

Zee ropes in Miandad, Akram for Asia Cup
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, July 14
Zee News, is all geared up to get the viewers glued to the television for the forthcoming six-nation cricket series, Asia Cup by entrusting former Pakistan cricket captains, the legendary Javed Miandad and the effervescent Wasim Akram. Zee News is bringing in cricket stars who are going to be part of the programme from the word go till the grand finale of the Asia Cup scheduled to begin in Colombo from July 16.

According to a press release today by the channel, Miandad and Wasim Akram are going to be an integral part of Zee News coverage for the series in the Island country. Javed Miandad will be arriving in Delhi on July 14 and shall be a valued guest of Zee News till the end of the event. He will be part of the daily coverage, sharing his experience and the expertise to predict the future of the teams and outcome of the matches. Miandad will be interacting with the viewers who can participate in live phone-ins prior to and after the day’s match. He will analyse for Zee News every toss and turn of the match.

Zee News has also chalked out a plan to organise live events in various cities where Javed will interact with cricket fans . The road shows will also give his fans an opportunity to meet the star face to face and talk on various aspects of the game.

Wasim Akram will be giving his special comments of the match live from Colombo along with the Zee News team. He will provide his analysis and opinion prior to and after the matches. Wasim will be giving his expert comments on every movement inside the ground during the match.

Zee News, in its ‘Haqueeqat Jaisi Khabar Vaisi’ mission would be providing the precise information and all the nitty gritties of the game. It will also cover in detail the forthcoming tournaments in Holland and England and then the home series against Australia and South Africa followed by the series in Bangladesh, the release read.

ADMINISTRATION

Police offers e-mail facility
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 14
Jagraon SSP, Rajiv Ahir, has appealed to the area residents and non-resident Indians, belonging to this area to send their complaints through e-mail to him.

He said an e-mail id ssp_jagraonone@yahoo.co.in had been specially created for receiving complaints. He said as a large number of people of the area had settled abroad, the e-mail complaint facility would make it easier for them to take the help of the police.