ESI hospital to be upgraded
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 25
Taking a view of a rapid increase in the OPD registration and high bed occupancy by patients at the ESI Hospital, Ram Darbar, the ESI Corporation has decided to upgrade the hospital shortly. From the present capacity of 50 beds, the hospital would soon have 100 beds for accommodating more patients.

The decision of upgradation has been taken by the director-general of the ESI Corporation, New Delhi, after considering the high OPD attendance and bed occupancy rate. The existing hospital building would be raised to three stories from one and a half. The plans and estimates are being prepared accordingly. There are proposals from setting up new equipments and staff to provide better healthcare to the patients.

Dr Ramesh Chand, medical superintendent of the ESI Hospital, Ram Darbar, claimed that over 500 patients register at the hospital OPD daily and the bed occupancy has gone to 135 per cent since January 2007. The hospital has tie-up arrangements with the outside laboratory and diagnostic centres for various investigations which the institute lacks, he claimed.

He also informed that the hospital had also chalked out a programme to mark the 55th anniversary of the ESIC scheme, launched by the first Prime Minister of independent India, Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru, on February 24, 1952. The programme includes meetings, health awareness lecturers, health check up camps, blood donation camps, healthy baby show and puppet show.

Knee repair: Mohali hospital uses new technique
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 25
The Grecian Super-speciality Hospital, Mohali, today conducted knee repair through the navigation system. This is for the first time that total knee replacement was conducted through this system in the tri-city by a team of orthopaedicians. The advancement is also called computer-aided surgery.

It was a middle-aged woman who was operated upon for total knee arthroplasty at the hospital.

A team of surgeons lead by Dr Harminder Singh, an orthopaedician of the hospital, operated the patient for the complication and demonstrated it live to the a couple of mediapersons this morning. Commenting upon the method and the procedure, the surgeon said that total knee arthroplasty requires implantation of prosthesis guided by computer navigation.

He said that the computer determines the axis of a patient’s limbs that helps the surgeons in placing the implants in the knee joints. The navigation makes the total knee arthroplasty a highly effective surgical procedure as compared to manual prothesis implantation option, he added.

Dr Shivpreet Singh Samra of the hospital said, "Computer-aided (navigation) knee Arthroplasty is very common in European countries. It is in its initial stages in India because of the cost factor of the equipment used in the navigation.”

Medical check-up camp organised
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, February 25
As many as 250 patients were examined at the second free eye check-up camp organised at the Vishav Manav Ruhani Kendra, in Sector 9, here today. The camp was organised in collaboration with Roshini Charitable Trust and Grewal Eye Institute. Of the total patients examined, 15 of them were advised urgent operations which would be conducted at nominal charges.

Virasat, a charitable trust, organised a free medical check-up camp at Kiratpur village in collaboration with Haryana AIDS Control Society. Inaugurating the camp, Dr Anubhav, organising secretary, urged those present to join Virasat in its endeavor to spread awareness about AIDS so that the deadly disease can be eradicated.

Mr Anil Kumar, Field Officer, Virasat, delivered a lecture on the risks involved in sexual relationships if proper preventive measures are not undertaken. Counsellor Aman Kumar also addressed the gathering. Dr Aman Gauba held a check-up camp in which around 75 persons were examined.

Nagi is IAA chief

Chandigarh, February 25
Dr O.N. Nagi, formerly of the PGI, was today elected president of the All-India Orthopaedic Association (IAA) at the 6th Bi-Annual All-India Conference of the IAA held here today. He was earlier secy-general of the association.

About 350 joint replacement surgeons from across the country and abroad attended the conference. Professor Nagi, who is currently working as senior consultant and in charge of the Joint Replacement Centre at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, has performed more than 7,000 joint replacement surgeries.

He had started joint replacement surgeries at the PGI here in 1981 and was professor and head of the Department of Orthopaedics, PGI, for 18 years. The next conference of the IAA is scheduled in 2009 in Chennai. Professor Nagi was here to deliver a guest lecture on new techniques in joint replacements.

Punjab, Kerala enter semis
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 25
Punjab, Kerala, West Bengal and MTNL (Mumbai) moved into the semifinals of 6th All-India BSNL Football Tournament being played at several venues here today.

West Bengal beat Rajasthan 2-0 while MTNL (Mumbai) got the better of Jammu and Kashmir 2-1. Kerala drubbed Maharashtra 10-0 and the match between Punjab and Bihar ended in goalless draw.

The results:

Pool-A: Orissa b North East-I 1-0, Karnataka b Jharkhand 3-0, Madhya Pradesh draw Jharkhand 0-0, North East-I b Uttar Pradesh (East) 5-0;

Pool-B: West Bengal b Rajasthan 2-0, North East-II draw Andhra Pradesh 0-0, MTNL (Delhi) b Andhra Pradesh 3-1, Rajasthan draw Himachal Pradesh 1-1;

Pool-C: NTR (Delhi) draw J and K 0-0, MTNL (Mumbai) b J and K 2-1, Kerala b Maharashtra 10-0;

Pool-D: Bihar b Chhattisgarh 4-0, Punjab draw Bihar 0-0, Tamil Nadu b Gujarat 2-0.

Amar Ujala are champions
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 25
Amar Ujala today clinched the Airtel-Chandigarh Press Club Inter-Media Cricket Tournament for the third time by defeating Indian Express by 31 runs. The final, which was beamed live on Siti Cable, was played at the PCA Stadium, Mohali.

Electing to bat first after winning the toss, Amar Ujala lost one of their openers with just 17 runs on the board. Satish scored 64 runs while Ashish remained unbeaten on 50. The team scored 194 runs for the loss of four wickets in the allotted 25 overs. Raghav Ohri and Aman took two wickets each.

Chasing 195 runs at 7.8 runs per over, the Indian Express team were undone by poor running between the wickets.

Despite a solid start provided by opener Jaipal Singh (50 off 37 balls), the team was all out for 164 runs. The skipper Kamleshwar’s knock of 48 runs was of no avail.

For Amar Ujala, Ashish and Laxman took two wickets each. Satish was adjudged man of the series, while Rohit Awasthi of The Tribune bagged the best fielder award. Ashish (Amar Ujala) took home the best bowler award.

Mr Nidheesh Tyagi, resident editor, Dainik Bhaskar, was the chief guest on the occasion, while principal secretary (Home), Punjab, and PCA vice-president, Dr B.C. Gupta, were the guests of honour.

Brief scores:

Amar Ujala: 194 for 4 (Satish 64, Ashish 50 n.o; Raghav 2 for 34, Aman 2 for 32).

Indian Express: 164 all out (Jaipal 50, Kamleshwar 48, Ashish 2 for 13, Laxman 2 for 19).

Pankaj excels in APJ Cup final
Tribune News Service

Mohali, February 25
The Sector 16 Cricket Stadium team lifted the first u-13 APJ Cricket Cup by beating the Mohali Cricket Association (MCA) team by nine runs at the MCA grounds, Phase IX, here today.

Pankaj Rawat was declared man of the match for his knock of 56 runs. He also took two wickets in the match.

Batting first, the Sector 16 team were bowled out for 134 runs. Besides Pankaj, Pranav contributed 16 runs. Mayank Munjal, Mayank Sood and Anshul took two wickets each for the MCA team.

Chasing the target in the allotted 30 overs, the MCA team were all out for 125 runs. Openers Pukhraj Trehan (23 runs) and Mayank Sood (22 runs) gave a good start with their 60-run opening partnership. After that, except Mayank Munjal who scored 27 runs, the rest of the team could not reach double figures. Daksh and Pankaj took three and two wickets, respectively, for the Sector 16 team.

Dutch juniors to play 4 matches
Tribune News Service

Mohali, February 25
A junior team from Holland is in the city for 8 days for coaching and two practice matches each with D.P. Azad’s academy and the Mohali cricket association.

The Holland team is: Voornaam Naam, Matthijs Fischer, Steven De Bruin, Bob Entrop, Christopher James Davey, Stijn Allema, Graeme Davey, Hidde Maarleveld, Olivier Lodder, Johan Maurits Offerman, Thomas Heggelman, Maninderpal Kamboj, Olivier Izaak De Geus, Timothy Gruijters, Waqar Khan and Lesley Stokkers.

Pak players to skip meet
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 25
The prize money all-India tennis association senior tennis tournament at the Chandigarh Club grass courts here from February 26 to March 2 will be played without Pakistani players, who have expressed inability to take part in the meet.

V. Shankar of Delhi, Rakesh Kohli and Punit Gupta, both of Uttar Pradesh, Dhawal Patel of Maharashtra, Laxman Ambulkar and S.P. Dalvi will be seen in action.

Competitions in 45-plus and 55-plus doubles will also be conducted and 40-plus singles will be held at the CLTA sports complex in Sector 10.