HEALTH

Army sets up liver transplant facilities
Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 22
The Army Medical Corps (AMC) is setting up facilities for undertaking liver transplants at the Army Research and Referral (RR) Hospital, Delhi. Also on the anvil is a dedicated cardiology care centre and research and treatment facilities for cancer.

“The infrastructure for undertaking liver transplants, including the operation theatre and other post-operative amenities, is already in place,” General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, Lt-Gen Daljeet Singh, said here today.

Two specially selected teams comprising medical specialists associated with liver transplant were sent to the United Kingdom for training. While one team has already returned, the other team is still undergoing training. “From March we will be in a position to undertake liver transplant surgery,” General Daljeet said.

Liver transplant is a highly complex surgery and is at present available in just a handful of medical institutes located in Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Doctors at the Command Hospital, Chandimandir, said liver transplant was introduced in India in 1999.

“We get a large number of cases pertaining to liver disorders in our hospitals. Most of the cases are those of ex-servicemen or their dependants,” Commandant of the Command Hospital, Major-Gen V.P. Pathania, said. “Out of these, transplant is recommended in just about 2 or 3 per cent cases,” he added.

Besides the task of transplant being complex, it is also very expensive. Doctors say that a transplant surgery may cost about Rs 15 to16 lakh. Post-operative medication, which is essential and a permanent feature, is also very costly, running to the tune of Rs 15,000 per month.

Meanwhile, 72-year-old P.N. Singh, father of Major S.K. Singh, a serving artillery officer became the first person in the history of the Armed Forces Medical Service to donate his liver. The Major agreed to the donation after doctors attending on his father at the RR Hospital declared him brain dead following a massive stroke. As there was no suitable recipient in Delhi, the liver was flown to Hyderabad and successfully transplanted into a 45-year-old patient suffering from end stage liver disease.

The Army Commanders said a special cardiology centre was also coming up on the premises of the RR hospital, though it would administratively be a separate entity. An officer of the rank of a brigadier or major-general would head the centre and some facilities and staff from the Base Hospital, Delhi, would be transferred to the centre for its commissioning.

The AMC has also introduced nuclear medicine for carrying out diagnosis for certain disorders. Use of nuclear medicine generates various colours on a film or image when CT scans are conducted, enabling doctors to determine the type and extend of disorder.

Book on hospital admin unveiled
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 22
Managing a large hospital was really challenging, said Prof K.K. Talwar, Director of the PGI, while releasing a book, “Hospital administration and management”, at a formal function here today.

Authored by Prof S.L. Goel of Panjab University and Dr R. Kumar, a city ophthalmologist, and experts in healthcare and health administration, the book contains the text on problems in hospitals and healthcare institutions and their management.

Dr Raj Bahadur, Additional Medical Superintendent of the hospital, briefed the contents of the book. The author, Prof. S.L. Goel, an emeritus Professor of Public Administration with the University Grant Commission (UGC), said, “Administration is as important as professional competence in a hospital. A patient does not dependent on us, rather, we (as administrators) are dependent on him.”

Dr R. Kumar, co-author of the book, talked about the advances needed for health tourism in the city.

Ambulance donated to PGI
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 22
Extending its help to the helpless and needy patients, Lifeline, a social organisation, donated an ambulance and a mortuary van to the PGI here today.

A delegation of office-bears led by Mr Ravinder Gupta, president of the Lifeline, visited the PGI and handed over the keys of the vehicles to the PGI Director Dr K.K. Talwar.

The social organisation has been handling unknown patients in the PGI as well as those patients who need follow-up in PGI sarais for the past six years.

185 donate blood
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 22
As many as 185 persons donated blood in a camp organised by the Rajasthan Parishad and the National Integrated Medical Association, the UT, to celebrate the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at Rajasthan Bhawan, Sector 33-A, here today.

Mrs Harjinder Kaur, Mayor, inaugurated the camp and appreciated the parishad for celebrating the birth anniversary of Netaji.

3 LHAs removed

SPORTS

Chandigarh golfers lose
Pak goodwill match
Donald Banerjee

The Chandigarh and Pakistani golfers before the goodwill golf match in Lahore on Saturday.

Chandigarh, January 22
The city golfers are back from Pakistan. The goodwill golf tour to Lahore saw the Chandigarh Golf Club team losing by a three-game margin to Royal Palm Golf and Country Club team on Saturday.

This is the second time that the Pakistani golfers had triumphed. They had won the first goodwill golf match in Chandigarh in 2005.

The Chandigarh golfers started the golf tour with a bang. Yes, their top-pairing of Sandeep Sandhu and Gurjeet Singh Lehal got the better of the Pakistani top pair of Amir Mehmood and Sardar Murad in a closely contested match.

Taking a one hole lead, the Chandigarh duo maintained the one-up till the first nine. Sandhu and Lehal kept up the pressure in the return nine and struck another point to be two-up on the 16th.

It was a "dormi=2" situation. Both pairs scored a par each on the 17th. This gave the Chandigarh team the first point in a two-up situation.

Then Dr Sachdeva and Anil Gakhar took on the challenge of Bashir and Ishan Mehmood. The Chandigarh boys were trailing by one on the ninth hole. They struck a point on the 15th to draw level. But with just one hole to go, Sachdeva and Gakhar went down again.

Excitement was writ large on the faces of the golfers as the 18th hole commenced. But a fine putt saw the Chandigarh duo draw level. At this point the Chandigarh team were leading 1.5=0.5.

But this was as far as the Chandigarh golfers could go. They found the undulating course and water features a bit too much. The Pakistanis, on the other hand, just did not take much time wrapping up the remaining matches with scores of 4=up, 3=up, 2-up and 2=up for a 4.5=1.5 victory.

The Chandigarh players were stumped by the Lahore hospitality.

The Chandigarh Golf Club president, Mr G.S. Sandhu, and the Lahore Royal Palm Club president, Mr Faizal Qureshi, agreed for a reciprocal arrangement between members of the two clubs. This was the first agreement between the golf clubs of the two countries offering reciprocal facilities to members visiting the clubs.

Mr G.S. Sandhu also met General Tariq, past president of the Pakistan Golf Federation. General Tariq was a member of the Lahore team that visited Chandigarh in February, 2005.

The Chandigarh golfers and their families payed obeisance at Nankana Sahib.

They also visited the Lahore Fort of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and also the late Maharaja's tomb.

They had a taste of khana at Foodstreat of Lahore, popularly known as Gawal Mandi.

Satluj defeats St John’s, enter semis in cricket tourney
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, January 22
The hosts Satluj Public School, Sector-4, Panchkula, defeated St John’s High School, Sector 26, Chandigarh, by a huge margin of 50 runs in the league match of the first Satluj Numero UNO (u-14) Cricket Tournament for school teams, played on its premises, here, today. The Satluj team has topped in its pool and qualified for the semifinals by winning all three league matches they played.

In the league match played today, Satluj Public School won the toss and opted to bat first, both openers of Satluj Public School scored 55 runs for the opening wicket in the first seven overs, which laid the foundation for a good total.

The skipper of Satluj team, Manan Vohra, and Gurprabhjot Singh, opened the innings and both scored 30 and 22 runs, respectively.

Abhinav scored 27 not out in 22 balls and in the later stages of the innings, Sajit Nagrath scored 27 not out valuable runs in 17 balls, including three sixes.

After the completion of allotted 20 overs, Satluj Public School were able to score a respectable total of 145 runs for the loss of 2 wickets. Jaydeep Bose of Satluj Public School bowled well for the team and took three wickets of the opponent team conceding 16 runs and Harpreet Singh of Satluj School also took three wickets conceding 20 runs. Manan Vohra took two wickets conceding 18 runs. In reply, the splendid half century knock by Karan Goel (55) proved to be futile as St John’s team were folded at a mere score of 95 in 19.5 overs.

Brief scores: Satluj Public School, Sector-4, Panchkula : 145/2 in 20 overs. (Manan Vohra) 30, Abhinav 27 (n.o.), St John’s High School, Sector-26, Chandigarh: 95 all out in 19.5 overs (Karan Goel 55, Jaydeep Bose 3/16, Harpreet Singh 3/20.

Sanjay Public School crush Stepping Stone in quarter-finals
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 22
An unbeaten knock of 67 runs studded with nine 4s fashioned Sanjay Public School of Sector 44 team’s victory over Stepping Stone team in the quarter-final round of the Chandigarh Inter-School (u-19) Cricket Tournament for Adviser Cup. The tournament is being organised by the Chandigarh Sports Department at DAVSSS-8 ground here today. With this win, the team has joined DAV Senior Secondary School, Sector 8, A and B teams and St Stephen's team in the semi-finals of this tournament.

Batting first after winning the toss, Sanjay Public School made 140 all out in 27.2 overs. Harpreet was associated in two good partnerships. First with Gaurav Vaid (14) contributed 45 runs for the third wicket stand. On the other hand, Stepping Stones' Lovnish and Abhishek got three wickets each for 12 and 33 runs, respectively. In reply, Stepping Stone were dismissed for 105 in 26.1 overs.

Brief scores: Sanjay Public School, Sector 44,: 140 in 27.2 overs (Harpreet 67 (n.o., 9x4s, Lakhbir Singh 18, Lovnish 3 for 12); Stepping Stone School, Sector 37, : 105 all out in 26.1 overs (Ashish Kukreshi 54, 7x4s, Parmod Sharma 11, Deepak 11 not out, Bhagwant Nagra 5 for 18).

Tomorrow's fixture (semi-finals): Sanjay Public School vs DAVSSS-8 (B) at Sector 16 Cricket Stadium.

PU girls beat Moga in ball badminton
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 22
Panjab University Campus, Chandigarh team, beat DM College, Moga team, 2-0 (20-8, 29-4) on the first day of the PU Inter-College Ball Badminton Championship for Women. The championship was held on PU Campus, here, today. In another match, MCM DAV College, Chandigarh, defeated GGD SD College, Chandigarh, in a one sided match 2-0 (29-1, 29-2).

Volley ball results: The results are as follows:

Government College, Karamsar, beat GHG Khalsa College of Education, Gurusar Sadhar, (3-0) 25-19, 25-17, 25-20.

Team selected for inter-varsity athletics meet
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 22
The following athletes have been selected in the Panjab University athletics men and women teams to participate in the All-India Inter-University Athletics Meet. The meet will be held at Bangalore University, Bangalore, from January 25 to 29:

The list is as follows:

(Men)

Harvinder Singh (Captain), Vikram Chaudhary, Baldev Singh, Baljinder Singh, Surinder Singh, Satinder Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Amandeep Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Balraj Singh, Mukhtiar Singh, Amandeep, Maneet, Sachin Sharma, Jaspreet Singh, Kanwaljit Singh, Rajneesh, Jaswinder Singh and Gursheed Singh.

Mr Pardeep Dogra will be the coach while Dr Gurmeet Singh will accompany the team as manager.

(Women)

Mandeep Kaur (Captain), Ramandeep Kaur, Akwinder Kaur, Amandeep Kaur, Manjeet Kaur, Priyanka Singh Patel, Anupama Srivastava, Kamaljit Kaur, Satwant Kaur and Rajdeep Kaur.

The coach will be Mr Sarabjit Singh and Ms Sukhdeep Kaur will be the team manager.

Doon International pips DAV in Playwin football meet
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 22
DAV, Sector 15, lost to Doon International, Mohali, by 5-0 in the Playwin Junior Football Championship (U-15 Boys) at the Football Stadium, Sector 17, here today.

As many as 24 teams are competing in the seven-day tournament, organised by Zee Sports and Sportz Village in collaboration with Hansaplast and Ryan International School, Sector 49.

The other results are as follows:

DPS, Pinjore b GRBP 4-0; Moti Ram Arya School, Sector 27, b Government Senior Secondary School, Sector 15, 2-1; Vivek High School, Sector 38, b New Public School, Sector 18, 2-1; St Joseph, Sector 44, b Ajit Karam Singh International Public School, Mohali, 5-0; Mount Carmel, Sector 47, b Guru Hari Krishan Public School, Sector 40, 1-0; Ryan International Public School (B) b GKPS, Sector 30, 5-0; Ryan International Public School, Sector 49, b Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 33, 5-0.