HEALTH

Cardiac camp extended
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 27
The ongoing cardiac camp at SPS Apollo Hospital here, organised to commemorate the first anniversary of the institution, has been extended till July 31.

According to hospital director Jugdiep Singh, the date had been extended keeping in view the general demand of public.

He said during the camp, needy patients were being provided specialised diagnostic and treatment facilities like angiography, angioplasty and bypass surgeries at subsidised rates.

Dr K.C. Mukherjee, Head of the Department of Cardiac Surgery, said over the past year, the hospital had performed 1,120 cardiac interventions (angiographies) and 324 angioplasties.

The team had also carried out 187 surgeries with a good rate of success.

The camp is being organised to mark the first anniversary of the hospital with the objective of providing specialised cardiac care to people at affordable cost. The camp had started on June 21.

Christian Dental College makes clean sweep in BDS exams
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 27
Students of Christian Dental College (CDC) here have once again proved their mettle by securing top ranks in the BDS examination held by the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences.

The CDC students have bagged top ranks in the second, third and final year professional examinations.

Mandeep Kaur scored the first rank in the university, securing 973/1400, with distinction in operative dentistry, while Charis Chandy Joseph obtained the third rank with 954/1400 in the BDS final year professional examination.

In the third professional examination, all the top three ranks were grabbed by the CDC students. Supneet Singh Wadhwha (571/800) with distinction in community dentistry, Rashima Sood (556/800) and Shivangi Maletia (556/800) claimed the first, second and third positions, respectively.

Following the footsteps of her seniors, Puneet Kaur Pandher secured the first rank in the second professional exam by securing 574/800 marks, with distinction in pharmacology.

Girl gets a new lease of life at DMC institute
Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, July 27
Ten-year- old Pooja, a resident of Tibba Road in the city, who was suffering from a heart ailment and could not afford expert treatment has got a new lease of life when help poured in from good Samaritans.

His father, Dharam Pal, a migrant worker in a powerloom factory, got her examined at various hospitals in the city but the treatment gave her little relief.

Dharam Pal said city doctors advised him to take the girl either to the PGI, Chandigarh or to AIIMS, New Delhi, for cardiac surgery. “But the cost of treatment was a big hindrance in saving the precious life of my daughter”, he said

When news about the girl's family not being able to afford her medical treatment came to the notice of Hero DMC Heart Institute (HDHI) here, Dr Vivek Gupta, cardiac anaesthetist at the hospital contacted the girl's family and got 
her admitted for investigations.

The patient was put under the treatment of Dr D.P. Marik, Senior Consultant Cardiac Surgeon and Dr N.K. Sood, Senior Consultant Cardiologist at the HDHI.

According to Dr Marik, little Pooja was afflicted with a disease called constrictive pericarditis, which if left untreated, could have led to cardiac failure and swelling of the body. The child was evaluated and stabilised medically and thereafter a surgery was performed successfully. “Complete pericardectomy was done and the child recovered fully,” informed the treating doctors.

Mr Prem Gupta, secretary of the managing society of the institution, said a donation of Rs 80,000 was given by the Bangalore-based Have a Heart Sewa Free Clinic Association for treatment of the child. Rest of expenditure of surgery as well as medication were entirely waived by the management.