HEALTH

Renal patients prone to Hepatitis B: Doc
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 29
“Patients of renal failure are prone to Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and given the cleanliness in and around our hospitals, the number of infected patients goes up to 40 per cent, while developed countries like the USA have kept it down to just seven per cent,” said Dr George Kurian, Professor and Head, department of gastroenterology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, here.

Dr Kurian is here to participate in a two-day conference on “Current perspectives in liver diseases-2007” organised by the department of hepatology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, in association with the department of gastroenterology, AIIMS, New Delhi.

The conference is being attended by around 250 doctors working in the fields of hepatology, gastroenterology and internal medicine.

“Hepatitis B infection is transmitted to patients of renal failure most often during dialysis because of the contamination and contact with infected body fluids,” he said.

The infection results in early deterioration in liver function and death due to liver failure after immunosuppression.

“Our government hospitals neither have substantial dialysis facilities nor proper cleanliness. However, segregation of patients before dialysis can be a big step in reducing the spread of infection,” opined Dr Kurian.

The most effective means of treating infection is prevention by vaccinating early in the disease and carefully checking on the anti-HBV status after vaccination, said the gastroenterologist.

And late in the disease, post-transplantation oral antiviral drugs are being used and initial results show a good control of virus and progression of liver damage.

However, one has to assess as to which or when the drug is to be prescribed to the patient, as the drugs available vary in there effectiveness as well as pricing, said the doctor.

Dirty Deal
PGI sweepers up in arms against new contractor
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 29
The sweepers at PGIMER today protested the handing over of sanitation services to Sulabh International and alleged that the new contractor was giving them less remuneration.

The PGI authorities decided to handover a part of sanitation services to Sulabh International. “We are being offered Rs 2,900 by Sulabh, while the earlier contractor was paying us Rs 3,213, which was fixed by the UT Administration as minimum wages,” said Ashok, a sweeper.

Also, the earlier contractor was paying 4.75 per cent and 13.61 per cent of this amount against the Employees Service Insurance (ESI) and Employees Provident Fund (EPF), respectively, for his employees. Now, Sulabh is offering Rs 2,900 without any provident or ESI facility, alleged Kamlesh, another sweeper.

Though Sulabh is charging 20 pc of the remuneration to the employees from PGI against just Rs 4.9 per cent as charged by the earlier contractor, the employees are reportedly being deprived of their basic rights on the pretext of the contract system.

The PGI authorities, however, claimed that by roping in Sulabh, the institute had introduced an international-level sanitation maintenance system.

Additional medical superintendent, PGI, Dr Raj Bahadur said the institute had nothing to do with the contractual staff and the remuneration was the prerogative of the contractor. Moreover, Sulabh did not consider the people working with it as volunteers, and thus, the Minimum Wages Act did not apply, he added.

Telemedicine projects to be functional soon
Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 29
The telemedicine projects at 26 sites in Punjab are in progress and likely to be functional by the middle of next year. The projects would be of great help to doctors and patients in every part of the state. Director, Centre for development of Advanced Computing (CDCC), J.S. Bhatia revealed this here today. CDCC held a workshop on telemedicine for doctors from Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, and PGI, Chandigarh.

The projects at sites including PGI, Chandigarh, PGI, Rohtak, and SCB Medical College, Cuttack, have been put on software called Sanjeevani Online through which the doctors from the telemedicine centres would be able to discuss the cases with their counterparts in other hospitals, informed Bhatia.

Through the software the medicos would be able to send the reports of slides, x-rays and MRI scans to other centres to consult specialists and even the patients from far-flung areas would be able to get the appointments from the doctors in the hospitals of their choice.

OPDs closed on Oct 2
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 29
OPDs at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) and other government hospitals will remain closed on October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti). However, emergency services will continue to function as normal.

SPORTS

JP Atray Tourney
PCA Colts finish third
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 29
PCA Colts outplayed PCC by 107 runs to grab the third position in the XIVth All-India JP Atray Memorial Cricket Tournament at DAV School, Sector 8, here today.

After winning the toss, PCA Colts elected to bat. Openers Sunny Sohal and Ravi Inder Singh put a century stand for the first-wicket partnership. Ravi Inder played a captain’s knock of 118 runs off 144 balls while Sunny Sohal chipped in 62 runs off 63 balls. Ankur Kakkar (25) and Munish Bhatia (20) were the other notable contributors for PCA Colts. Manpreet Singh was the most successful bowler for the PCC as he took three wickets for 55 runs. Left-arm spinner Varun Khanna and Rahul Sharma took two wickets each at the cost of 38 and 44 runs, respectively. PCA Colts piled up a good total of 281 runs for the loss of eight wickets in allotted 50 overs.

Starting their chase, PCC’s Sarul Kanwar and Mayank Sidhana scored 86 runs in just 94 balls for the second-wicket partnership. Sarul Kanwar contributed 75 runs while Mayank Sidhana contributed 47 runs. After the departure of Mayank Sidhana, PCC wickets tumbled like a pack of cards. Ankur Kakkar, Sarabjit Singh, Naresh Gogian and Ravi Inder Singh claimed two wickets each. PCC were bowled out at 174 runs with 16.1 overs to spare.

With this win, PCA Colts got richer by Rs 30,000 whereas PCC pocketed Rs 15,000.

Ravi Inder Singh for his all-round performance was declared the man of the match.

Brief scores: PCA Colts: 281 for 8 in 50 overs (Sunny Sohal 62, Ravi Inder Singh 118, Ankur Kakkar 25, Munish Bhatia 20, Manpreet Singh 3 for 55, Varun Khanna 2 for 38, Rahul Sharma 2 for 44).

PCC: 174 all out in 33.5 overs (Sarul Kanwar 75, Mayank Sidhana 47, Ravi Inder Singh 2 for 5, Ankur Kakkar 2 for 23, Naresh Gogian 2 for 23, Sarabjit Singh 2 for 38).

Cricket
Almora school register win
Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 29
Yadavindra Public School, Patiala, lost to Ashoka Hall Girls Residential School, Almora, on the second day of the IPSC Cricket Tournament today. The tournament is being played at Yadavindra Public School here.

Batting first, YPS, Patiala, scored 74 runs in the allotted 20 overs. Almora school reached the target in 15.3 overs at the loss of four wickets.

In the second match between Maharani Gayatri Devi School, Jaipur, and Mayo College, Ajmer, the former won the match by seven wickets.

Gayatri Devi School piled up 108 runs for seven wickets in 20 overs. Mayo College reached the target in 12.4 overs. The team made 113 runs, losing three wickets. Akta scored 38 runs. Mehak and Zara proved to be the wreckers-in-chief for Mayo College, snapping four and three wickets, respectively.

Pinegrove, Dharampur, beat Daly College, Indore, by 97 runs in the last match of the day. Pinegrove scored 154 runs in 20 overs at the loss of three wickets while Daly College were packed up at 57 runs in 16.1 overs. For Pinegrove, Urvashi took five wickets followed by Pragalbha, who claimed three.

Friendship Cup 2007
Vipul shines in Vivek win

Chandigarh, September 29
An all-round performance by Vipul Chadha helped Vivek High Asian Cricket Academy to beat GMSSS-35 by 37 runs in the opening match of the Friendship Cup 2007 being organised by Vivek High Asian Cricket Academy on its premises in Sector 38.

Brief scores: Vivek Academy: 148 runs for 6 in 20 overs (Vipul 38, Yuvraj 25, Ravi Raj 24 n o, Dheeraj 3 for 27, Abhilash 2 for 29).

GMSSS-35: 111 all out in 16.1 overs (Bhajanjot 15, Dheeraj 13, Gurpreet 13, Sanjeev 3 for 17, Bhushan 3 for 8). Vipul Chadha was man of the match.

National Cricket Academy beat Twenty20 cricket Association of Haryana by eight wickets in the second match. — TNS

Chandigarh Golf Range honours Jeev
Our Golf Correspondent

Chandigarh, September 29
Chiranjeev Milkha Singh, India's highest ranked world golfer, was felicitated by the Chandigarh Golf Range for being the first golfer to be decorated with the Padma Shree award. The Chandigarh Golf Association organised a dinner in honour of the golf icon. Chiranjeev was accompanied by his father flying Sikh Milkha Singh and his mother Nirmal Milkha Singh, former captain of the Indian volleyball team.

C.S.R. Reddy, president of the Chandigarh Golf Association, who presented a bouquet to Chiranjeev, could not have asked for a better sports threesome.

Jeev will be flying to Scotland tomorrow for the Alfred Dunhill Links Golf Championship which will see the participation of amateurs like Hollywood celebrities like Katherene Zeta Jones, Michael Douglas, Sean Connery, Hugh Grant, Dennis Hopper, Ronan Keating, Bill Murray, Samuel L. Jackson, cricketers like Ian Botham and Steve Waugh, former tennis ace Boris Becker and many more.

From freezing Scotland, it will be again back to Delhi for the Hero Honda Indian Open. A day after the four-day Delhi championship, Jeev will be back in the European circuit playing in the Portugal Masters from October 18 to 21.

The Delhi tournament will pit Jeev against the defending champion and other Indian golf icon Jyoti Randhawa, who has been doing well on the European circuit.

So far Jeev's best performance in the European tour has been tied 12th in the Open de France ALSTOM and the BMW PGA Open. His ranking in the European tour after the 38th week on September 23, 2007, after playing in 27 events was 39th.

Welfare Club book berth in semis
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 29
Welfare Club of Chandigarh and Coaching Centre, Sector 32, advanced to the semifinals today in the sixth Challenger Kho-Kho Tournament being organised by the Chandigarh Kho-Kho Welfare Club at Government Model High School, Sector 43-A, here.

DAV School, Sector 15, will face GSSS-37 in the girls’ u-14 semifinal while Chandigarh Club-35 are pitted against Government MHS-40 in the second semifinal in the girls’ u-14 category.

Results

Boys’ u-14 (quarterfinals): Baptist School-45 b DAV School-15; St Joseph's Club-44 b Government High School-40, Government High School Dharamgarh b Govt High School-32; Coaching Centre-43 b Golden Club.

Girls u-14 (quarterfinals): DAV-15 b GMHS-43; Chandigarh Club b GMHS-40; Govt Middle HS-46 b Kids-R-Kids-42.

Open (women): Welfare Club Chandigarh b Guru Nanak Club; Coaching Centre-32 b Govt HS-40; MBB GGG Girls College, Rattewal b Govt Middle School-23.

Men: Welfare Club A b Basaya Club Kharar; Coaching Centre-43 b MDAV-22; Shaheed Bhagat Singh Club b Govt HS-40; Chandigarh Club b Shishu Niketan.

Rohit, Preeti skate to glory
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, September 29
Rohit Bajaj emerged winner in the 14-16 boys’ category of the first open skating carnival organised by the Coaches Skating Club at Blue Bird High School, Sector 16, here today.

Earlier, R. Bhatnagar, principal of Blue Bird High School, and Ashwani Sharma, district sports youth affairs officer and president of the Haryana Roll Ball Association, declared the meet open.

Around 250 skaters from Panchkula district participated in the event.

Results

Rink race I: Above 16 years (boys): 1 Varun, 2 Shubham, 3 Har Raj; 14-16 years (boys): 1 Rohit Bajaj, 2 Bharat Choudhary, 3 Arun; 14-16 years (girls): 1 Preeti; 12-14 years (boys): 1 Maninder, 2 Anshul, 3 Dhruv; 12-14 years (girls): 1 Palumi, 2 Nikita; 10-12 years (boys): 1 Siray, 2 Saransh, 3 Anshul Sud; 10-12 years (girls): 1 Abha, 2 Monika; 8-10 years (boys): 1 Sarthak Saxena, 2 Akshit, 3 Anuj; 8-10 years (girls) 1 Meghna, 2 Simran, 3 Chhavi; 6-10 years (boys): 1 Balkirat Singh, 2 Nimish Khokhar, 3 Gurbir Singh; 6-10 years (girls): 1 Priyanka Gupta, 2 Karan Geoge, 3 Aashna Nayyer; 4-6 years (boys): 1 Aryan Pal Singh, 2 Pranav, 3 Manan Gupta; 4-6 years (girls): 1 Shirin, 2 Khayati Jain, 3 Laranaya; below 4 years (boys): 1 Gurnoor Singh, 2 Ekaksh, 3 Rohin; below 4 years (girls): 1 Aditi, 2 Sukhmani; inline: 8-10 years: 1 Shitij, 2 Ramit; 10-12 years: 1 Arshmeet, 2 Abhilash.

Hockey (semifinal): Sub-junior boys: Blue Bird b Manav Mangal 2-1 and Bhavan Vidyalaya b Dikhsant International 3-0.

New Public School maul Sophia Convent
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 29
Hosts New Public School gave a one-sided defeat to Sophia Convent, Kalka, (56-06) in the boys’ category of the Chandigarh Open Basketball Meet held on its premises here today.

The main scorers for the winning team were: Tsetan 16, Amjyot 14 and Satish 8. Sahil Roshan (6) contributed from the losers’ side.

In another tie, Sophia Convent Kalka beat Tribune Model School, Chandigarh, in the girls’ group (5-04). The main scorer of the Sophia team were Mansi (4) and Sanya (1) while Namita (2) and Anushika contributed from the Tribune side.

Other results

Boys: Aadhunik Public, Dharamshala, b Air Force, 12 Wing, (59-04); Chapslee, Shimla, b GNMPS, Ponta Sahib (30-12); DPS, Pinjore, b DPS, Jammu, (29-16); St Soldier’s, Mohali, b Tribune Model, Chandigarh (29-08);

DAV-15 b Manav Mangal, Panchkula, (51-28).

Girls: BL Central, Solan, b DAV SSS-15 (16-12); Ballastic, Panchkula, got a walkover to Eicher, Parwanoo; SD School, Chandigarh, b Doon School, Mohali, (16-09); IS Dev Samaj, Chandigarh, beat SAS Academy, Ropar, (54-04).

DAV swimmers corner glory
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 29
DAV College, Chandigarh, won the Panjab University Inter-College Swimming Championship with 132 points in the men’s category while PU Campus, Chandigarh, and GGD SD College, Hariana, secured the second and third positions, respectively. The championship was held at the PU pool here today.

Results

Men’s section: 50m backstroke: 1 Azalijot Singh, 2 Gagan, 3 Yadvinder; 200m freestyle stroke: 1 Gagan Matta, 2 Mohit Sharma, 3 Devinder Kumar; 200m individual medley: 1 Azalijot Singh; 4x100m freestyle relay: 1 DAV College, Chandigarh, 2 PU Campus, Chandigarh, 3 SD College, Hoshiarpur.

Women’s section: 50m backstroke: 1 Gurbinder Kaur, 2 Lajdeep Kaur, 3 Shruti; 4x200m freestyle stroke: 1 PU Campus, Chandigarh, 2 GCG-11, Chandigarh.

City yoga expert brings laurels

Chandigarh, September 29
Yoga demonstrator Munish Kumar brought laurels to the city by securing the first position in the senior category of the 5th annual international yoga competition held in Mauritius recently.

He was one of the 12 demonstrators selected from across the country to take part in the competition.

More than 150 participants from 10 countries took part in the competition. — TNS

National meet from today
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 29
The 20th national sports meet, which is being organised under the aegis of Vidya Bharti, will start at Sharda Sarvhitkari Model School, Sector 40, today.

About 500 players from 11 zones will participate in various events like table tennis, basketball and badminton. The events will be organised in the u-14, u-17, u-19 (boys and girls) categories.

Punjab health minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla will inaugurate the meet at 9 am.

Netball trials

Chandigarh, September 29
Trials to select the Chandigarh sub-junior netball team (boys and girls) will be held at GMSSS-32, on October 1 at 4 pm. The selected team will participate in the sub-junior national netball championship to be held from October 14 to 17 at Hyderabad. — TNS