Ludhiana, September 5
Lung cancer, also known as bronchogenic carcinoma, is one of the most common cancers in the world. Lung cancer is a disease where tissue in the lung grows out of control. The condition, a leading common cause of cancer-related death among men, and the second most common among women, takes a toll of some 1.3 million deaths worldwide every year.

Dr Navdeep Singh, renowned medical oncologist at Apollo hospital here, said that high level of air and water pollution in Ludhiana, the second most polluted city in the northern region after Delhi, the population was exposed to a greater risk of developing lung cancer.

Dr Singh said the hospital was organising a three-day ‘Lung Cancer Camp’ starting from September 6, as a drive to detect the cancer as early as possible. The common symptoms were shortness of breath, cough and weight loss. 

Ludhiana, September 5
The Mohan Dai Oswal Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation would host a four-day national conference under the aegis of Indian Association of Surgical Oncology (NATCON-IASO 2007) from September 21-24.

Medical director of the host institute, Dr Satish Jain said more than 600 delegates from all over the country are expected to attend the meet.

The conference would be held at Paul Auditorium, Punjab Agricultural University and it would be preceded by a day-long pre-conference international video operative workshop on minimal invasive surgery and radical onco-surgery at the hospital campus, College of Nursing building. V-C of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences Dr Ravi Inderpal Singh would inaugurate the seminar. 

Ludhiana, September 5
More than 250 patients were examined at a free diabetes detection camp organised by local branch of National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA) under its community service project at Shivpuri, here, yesterday. The doctors and supporting staff at the camp checked blood pressure and conducted urine examination on some 150 patients detected with higher blood sugar level.

Dr Parminder Singh, endocrinologist at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, along with the team of NIMA doctors comprising Dr Surendra Gupta, Dr Rajesh Thaper, Dr Satinder Kakar, Dr Inder Sharma, Dr Sarbjit Singh, Dr Lavkesh Sharma, Dr K.K. Kharbanda, Dr Sarjivan Sharma, Dr Naresh Sablok and Dr Diwaker Sharma conducted the medical checkup and gave free consultation and medicines for diabetes and other diabetes-related ailments.

Dr Parminder Singh appreciated the comprehensive and umbrella care being provided by the association in its medical camps in the form of ECG, free laboratory tests for neuropathy, besides other diagnostic tests like bone mass density and fundoscopy for retinal complications. He said such clinics and hospitals that were equipped with all diagnostic facilities under one roof could be the only ideal set-up for effective diabetic care in India.

President of the body Dr Rajesh Thapar stressed that yoga, pranayaam, and meditation did have definite positive effect on the health of diabetic patients and these were quite effective in delaying the disease in people with metabolic syndrome or those who were pre-diabetics. Similarly, the role of diet is also very important in diabetes management, he said.

Patient-friendly and practically-possible diet restriction and selection should be advised to diabetic patients, as in India people did not have enough diabetic-food choices available in the market, he added.

NIMA secretary Dr Surendra Gupta said diabetes in India was proving a hard nut to crack and a mind boggling puzzle for physicians, despite the introduction of the new, novel molecules by the pharmaceutical companies.

Ludhiana, September 5
Ludhiana has no sports infrastructure for any game. Select facilities available in the city are for select few and not for common youngsters. If anybody wants to avail these facilities, he cannot.

For three major games, cricket, hockey and football, there are grounds, but not for common children. Like Guru Nanak Stadium, the venue of the ongoing Federation Cup, the players are not allowed to play. The formalities are too lengthy. That is the reason why not many players can be seen playing football there.

In Punjab Agricultural University also, there is a football ground. But the outsiders are not allowed to use the ground. Only the PAU inmates can use the ground.

For hockey, there is only one ground, that again in the PAU campus. The astro turf ground is also not allowed to all players, as several procedural formalities are to be completed for using this ground.

For cricket also, there is practically no stadium. There are only a couple of grounds - one in Arya College and another in the Government College for Boys. But these are mostly used by students of the respective colleges.

There is also one badminton court inside the Guru Nanak Stadium Complex. Like for other grounds, this is not open to everyone.

The educational institutions do not have sufficient sports infrastructure. Although the city has a good number of reputed schools, they hardly meet the sports infrastructure requirements. In fact, it is the schools where the talent grooms. But there are hardly any facilities. Most of the schools restrict the sports activities to athletics only.

In a city with such a huge population of about 35 lakh, the sports facilities are practically negligible. Since these facilities cannot be set up at individual level, only the government can step forward to develop the sport infrastructure.

One industrial group has set up a private cricket ground. But the group does not allow anybody from outside to play there. Ludhiana being the industrial hub with potential investors, there needs to be some initiative from them to contribute.

Regretfully there is no sports club promoted by any of the big industrial houses. Even the sponsorships have started of late only. This could always be the part of their advertisement budget only.

Doraha, September 5
The host team excelled in the 5-day basketball tournament held at Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School (SGHPS), on Tuesday.

Boys and girls separately won in two categories out of a total of three.

Nine teams from nine different schools participated in the basketball tournament. In the first category (under 14 girls), the host team won over Kalgidhar Academy, Dugri, by 14-0. The team of USPC Jain School Jamalpur (Ludhiana) was declared second runners-up. In the category of under-17, girls of Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School won the match after beating the runners-up team of Nankana Sahib, Budewal. by 22-4. Second runners-up team was Kalgidhar academy Dugri. Under 19-basketball tournament was won by Guru Nanak Model Sr. Sec. School, Doraha and Runners- -up team was USPC Jain Jamalpur (Ludhiana). The second runner up however was Kalgidhar academy Dugri.

Host team also showed excellent results in basketball tournament for boys. Boys of Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School won over USPC Jain Public School, Jamalpur by18-0, thereby making them the runners-up team and second runners-up was, Kalgidhar Academy Dugri. Under 17 boys category match was also won by the host team, thereby, making USPC Jain Public School, Jamalpur runners-up again and score of winning team was 42 - 28.

Under-19 boys title was snatched by Guru Nanak Model Sr. Sec. School, Doraha. The runners-up team was USPC Jain Public School and second runners-up was Devgan Model School, Ludhiana.

In badminton matches held at Zonal Level at the same venue, Hitansh Sethi, Abhinay Kaushal, Sukhdeep Singh and Simardeep Singh of SGHPS got the first positions.

S. Sukhpal Singh, chairman DIMT and DCE, Doraha, Lt. Col R.K. Sharma congratulated the winners.