Ludhiana, November 29
More than 200 patients were examined at a free medical camp organised by a team of doctors from SPS Apollo Hospitals at the premises of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) here today. The camp, held in connection with celebrations of foundation month of the EPFO, was co-ordinated by Mr A.K. Dutta, staff welfare secretary, and Mr Gurdayal Singh, enforcement officer.

Mr A.K. Lal, Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, who inaugurated the camp, lauded the efforts made by the team of doctors and supporting staff from Apollo.

Patients suffering from diabetes, heart disease and other medical ailments, benefited from the camp as specialists were available on the spot for consultation and follow-up advice. The team of doctors comprised Dr Ramanbeer Singh, Endocrinology, Dr Anureet Gill, Internal Medicine, and Dr J.S. Grewal, Cardiology. Besides conducting the medical checkup of the patients, the doctors counselled them to take to a healthy lifestyle and balanced diet.

Interacting with the patients, Dr Grewal said in countries where deaths from heart attacks had significantly come down over the past 30 years, it had largely been the result of taking to a healthy lifestyle.

Stressing the need for an ideal body weight, Dr Ramanbeer Singh cautioned that obesity was more likely in persons who were used to a high-fat diet, which was often a high-calorie diet since each gram of fat contained 9 calories as against 4 calories in each gram of protein or carbohydrate. Obese persons were exposed to an increased risk of a variety of problems, not the least of which was adult-onset diabetes, he added.

In the camp, a team of technicians conducted free ECG and blood sugar level tests. Medicines were distributed free of cost to the patients.

Ludhiana, November 29
Dr Parshant Aggarwal, Consultant Rheumatologist and Immunologist at SPS Apollo Hospitals here, attended the annual conference of the Indian Rheumatology Association - IRACON 2006, held in Lucknow from November 23 to 26, 2006. The conference was attended by more than 400 delegates from India and abroad.

During the conference, Dr Aggarwal presented a paper on 'Childhood arthritis' and HCAB 27 gene testing.

In his presentation, Dr Aggarwal elaborated that arthritis had more that 100 different causes, contrary to the common belief that it was a disease of the old age. "Arthritis can affect an individual of any age, including children. Prompt diagnosis and management is the key to optimal outcome."

He pointed out that HCAB 27 gene testing was useful for diagnosing a small subset of patients. However, suffering from arthritis but being HCAB 27 negative did not always indicate an arthritic illness. This gene was found only in approximately 7 per cent of the general population whereas the number of people afflicted with arthritis was much more. — OC

Ludhiana, November 29
Where there is smoke, there is disease. Smoking or use of tobacco in other forms is the leading cause of preventable death in India. Hundreds of studies have found that cigarette smoking can cause lung disease, heart disease and stroke. Cigarettes kill one in two smokers prematurely, with half of these deaths occurring during middle age. On an average, smokers die 13 to 14 years before non-smokers.

This was stated by Dr Akashdeep Singh at Christian Medical College and Hospital, in a lecture on tobacco-related health problems here today. He said the deaths attributable to use of tobacco in India currently ranged between 800,000 and 900,000 per year. Nevertheless, millions of adults in India consumed tobacco in different forms with the prevalence of tobacco use among men exceeding 50 percent and that in women around 25 per cent.

He maintained that tobacco use caused a wide range of major diseases which affected nearly every organ of the body. These included several types of cancers, heart diseases, lung diseases, vascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, angina (chest pain), sudden cardiac death, arrhythmias, stroke, peripheral artery disease (gangrene of the legs), abdominal aortic aneurysms, renal artery stenosis, cor pulmonale and erectile sexual dysfunction.

Smoking, Dr Akashdeep Singh pointed out, was the leading causes of cardiovascular diseases. "More than 25 lakh Indians die of cardiovascular diseases every year and majority of these deaths are preventable. In India, 42 percent of the total deaths by the year 2020 are projected to be due to cardiovascular causes."

He said besides lung cancer, tobacco smoking caused several other lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchial asthma, respiratory infections and some interstitial lung diseases.

The prevalence of TB was about three times higher among 'ever-smokers' than among 'never-smokers' and the mortality from TB was three to four times higher among the smokers.

Ludhiana, November 29
“The patients suffering from mental disorders are made to face a lot of humiliation, social discrimination, antipathy, neglect and even violence by society and in most of the cases, they are treated worse than animals.’’

This undesirable behaviour towards the mentally sick and related issues were discussed during the panel discussion on 'Cruelty towards psychiatric patients' in the course of deliberations of the annual conference of Indian Psychiatric Society (Punjab and Chandigarh branch), which concluded here yesterday.

According to Dr Rajeev Gupta, a city-based psychiatrist and de-addiction specialist, various participants in the panel discussion concluded that ignorance about the causes of mental illness and lack of education of the community as also the prevalent misconceptions about mental disorders led to the varying degree of cruelty towards the patients.

It was felt that there was an urgent need to educate the common people that mental diseases were like other physical illnesses and needed scientific treatment. "Superstitions and witchcraft have no role in causing and treating of mental disorders."

The experts from their respective fields strongly felt that the state should come down heavily upon those who were taking advantage of the ignorance of the people.

Ludhiana, November 29
The students of the Raekot Public School dominated the proceedings in the XVth Ludhiana Sahodya Schools Complex Athletics Meet being held at GGN Public School, Rose Garden, here today. Athletes from Raekot Public School garnered 137 points to establish lead over others, while Guru Nanak Public School, Mullanpur, followed them with 85 points.

Results: boys (u-19): shot put - Karanveer Singh of GRD Academy 1, Jagdeep Singh of GMT Public School 2, and Ravinder Singh of Shamrock Christian School 3;

400 m - Shaminder Singh of Raekot Public School 1, Harshdeep Singh of GNPS, Sarabha Nagar, 2, and Sukhminder Singh of GNPS, Mullanpur, 3; 1500 m - Vikramjit Singh of GNPS, Mullanpur, 1, Pavneet Singh of GNPS, Sarabha Nagar, 2, and Mankaran of GRD Academy 3;

long jump - Ravinderpal Singh of GNPS, Sarabha Nagar, 1, Prabhot Singh of Sacred Heart Convent School, BRS Nagar, 3;

discus throw - Karanveer Singh of GRD Academy 1, Manoj Kumar of Raekot Public School 2, and Atinderpal Singh of Sacred Heart Convent School, BRS Nagar, 3.

Boys (u-16): Manohardeep Singh of GNPS, Sarabha Nagar, 1, Jaspreet Singh of GNPS, Mullanpur, 2, and Vishal Bector of BVM School, Kithchlu Nagar, 3;

high jump - Jasmeet Singh of GNPS, Sarabha Nagar, 1, Rahul of KVM, Civil Lines, 2 and Talwinder Singh of BCM School, Shastri Nagar, 3;

discus throw - Puneetpal Singh of GNPS, Mullanpur, 1, Hardeep Singh of Raekot Public School 2, and Harshdeep Singh of GNPS, Sarabha Nagar, 3.

Girls (u-19): discus throw - Diljeet Kaur of GNIPS, Model Town, 1, Rajveer Kaur of GRD Academy 2, and Snehdeep Kaur of Spring Dale Public School 3;

400 m - Parminder Kaur of Raekot Public School 1, Vaneet Kaur of GNIPS, Model Town, 2, and Amanpreet Kaur of GGN Public School 3;

long jump - Rajandeep Kaur of GNPS, Mullanpur, 1, Tavleen Cheema of Sacred Heart Convent School, BRS Nagar, 2, and Manpreet Kaur of GGN Public School 3.

Girls (u-16): 400 m - Jagdeep Kaur of Raekot Public School 1, Rubina Sharma of Sacred Heart Convent School, Khanna, 2, and Srishti of KVM School, Civil Lines, 3;

1500 m - Kamalpreet Kaur of Sacred Heart Convent School, Jagraon, 1, Parminder Kaur of Sutlej Public School 2, and Jaspreet Kaur of GGN Public School 3;

long jump - Maninder Kaur of Raekot Public School 1, Srishti of KVM School, Civil Lines, 2, and Jasdeep Kaur of GNPS, Mullanpur, 3;

shot put - Jaskaranjot Kaur of SKSS, Sarabha Nagar, 1, Gurpal Kaur of Raekot Public School 2, and Geetiak of BCM School, Shastri Nagar, 3;

high jump - Harmandeep Kaur of Raekot Public School 1, Srishti of KVM School, Civil Lines, 2, and Jaspreet Kaur of GGN Public School 3.