The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Govt health institutions lack facilities
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 2
The government health institutions, both in rural and urban areas are not providing basic health care services. People have to look toward to alternate sources in the private sector. Moreover, ailing persons with little or no resources are left with no option as they cannot afford treatment from qualified doctors or specialists.

The situation prevailing in a subsidiary health centre in a remote village would more or less sum up the state of rural health institutions. As some 20 odd patients, including women and children, are waiting, they are told that the doctor is on leave and will not be coming for the day.

The pharmacist, who arrives more than an hour late for duty, hastily dispenses variety of tablets to those suffering from fever or vomiting. A few patients are given prescriptions and told to purchase medicines from the chemist shop because these are not available in the dispensary.

A couple of other patients are directed to have X-ray and laboratory tests done either from private centres. Residents of the village complain that almost similar story is repeated everyday at the dispensaries.

The situation is no better in the sub divisional or rural hospitals. Frequent visitors to these institutions complain of indifferent staff, non-availability of needed diagnostic services and medicines, poor maintenance of infrastructure and equipment.

The most common complaint of the patients is that the doctors and technicians are not available during duty hours.

Even though it could not be officially confirmed, people residing in the vicinity of these institutions alleged that the doctors were working either in the private clinics or in nursing homes during their duty hours while the patients keep waiting in dispensaries.

Not only this, some of the doctors were said to be running their own nursing homes.

Avoid processed food, says doctor
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, November 2
A lecture on “Balanced Diet for a Healthy Life” was organised at Hero Cycles CR Division by Hero DMC Heart Institute (HDHI), here, yesterday.

Stressing the need for creating awareness among the masses about preventive steps and management of heart problems, Dr GS Wander, chief cardiologist at HDHI, said the best way to avoid heart disease is to live and eat healthy. Proper nutrition is essential to manage symptoms and preventing further complications.

He said there are many controllable risk factors for cardiac diseases that include smoking, high LDL (bad cholesterol), low HDL (good cholesterol), uncontrolled hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes and physical inactivity. With some will power and self-discipline, one can lessen the harmful effects of these factors to a large extent. All one needs to do is to adopt the right lifestyle and the right food habits.

Explaining the dietary part, Harsimrat, consultant dietician, said one should choose veggies, fruits, dried beans, legumes while processed or canned foods ought to be avoided.

Harsimrat further said one should choose to always eat in moderation, and go for variety over volume. There is no single food that contains all the nutrients that our body needs. Further, intake of salt should be limited, or low salt food items should be opted for.

Tennis
Natasha in finals
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 2
Aashman Goghari and Digvijay S Mehta will face each other in the finals of the main draw of boys Under-14 category in the Asian Ranking Tennis Tournament getting underway at the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association courts, Sector 10, here yesterday.

Goghari beat Saiteja Paladugu 6-3, 6-4 in straight sets whereas Digvijay S. Mehta ousted Chakma Manab Kumar 6-1, 6-0. In girls U-14, Vaidehi Bhagwat ended the challenge of Anushka Bhargava 6-3, 6-3 while Natasha Palha beat Arzoo Malik 6-2, 6-2 to secure final berths.

Results:

Semifinal, Boys U-14: Aashman Goghari (Ind) b Saiteja Paladugu (Ind) 6-3, 6-4, Digvijay S. Mehta (Ind) b Chakma Manab Kumar (Ind) 6-1, 6-0.

Girls U-14: Vaidehi Bhagwat (Ind) b Anushka Bhargava (Ind) 6-3, 6-3, Natasha Palha (Ind) b Arzoo Malik (Ind) 6-2, 6-2.

Boys U-14 (doubles): Ronit Bisht (Ind) and Faizan Khurram (Pakl) b Digvijay S. Naruka (Ind) and Manoj Kumar (Ind) 6-2, 6-3, Saiteja Paladugu (Ind) and Tushal Thawani (Ind) b Vishal Passi (Ind) and Aashman Goghari (Ind) 6-0, 6-3.

Girls U-14 (doubles): Vaidehi Bhagwat (Ind) and Natasha Palha (Ind) b Likitha Shetty (Ind) and Arzoo Malik (Ind) 6-0, 6-0, Anushka Bhargava (Ind) and Zainab Ali Sajjad (Ind) b Harnoor K. Mann & Ikttesh Chahal (Ind) 6-4, 4-6, 10-6.

Ajitwal polytechnic college lift title
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, November 2
Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Polytechnic College, Ajitwal, defeated host Government Polytehnic College, Ludhiana, to win badminton title in the Punjab Inter-Polytechnic Women Sports Meet (table tennis and badminton) which concluded at the Government Polytechnic College, Ludhiana, here today.

Government Polytechnic College, Ropar, beat Government Polytechnic College, Jalandhar, for third place.

In table tennis, Government Polytechnic College, Ropar, outclassed Government Polytechnic College, Ludhiana, to bag the title.

H K Toor, principal of the host college, gave away the prizes. She thanked officials and college staff for organising the tournament successfully. Prof M P Singh, Prof Harkanwal Singh, Prof Jasbir Singh and Prof Kulwinder Singh were also present.

GCW eves emerge champs
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, November 2
The students of the sports wing of Government College for Women, Ludhiana, gave a stupendous performance to win overall championship in the Panjab University Inter-College Weightlifting Championship. This was GCW’s maiden title victory.

The weightlifters of the college created seven new records. Baljinder Kaur created five new meet records in the 63 kg category while Harpreet Kaur created made a new record in the 75 kg category.

Besides Baljinder Kaur and Harpreet Kaur, three other girls of the college, Rajni (58 kg), Navjot Kaur (69 kg) and Ruby Rani (+75 kg), secured silver medals and helped Government College for Women, Ludhiana, to romp home as title winners.

The principal of GCW, R K Aulakh, congratulated the girls and physical education department’s teachers for bringing fame to the college.

Rugby Championship
Punjab runners up
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, November 2
Punjab secured second position in the seventh Senior National Rugby Football Championship which was organised by the Maharashtra State Rugby Football Association from October 25 to 29 at Nagpur. Sixteen teams took part in this championship.

In the pool matches, Punjab beat Maharashtra B 37-0, Uttrakhand by 35-0 and Uttar Pradesh 40-0.

In the quater final, Punjab defeated Maharashtra A 27-0 and Punjab beat Vidhrava 17-0. However, Punjab failed to overcome the last hurdle as they lost to Orrisa 0-17 in the final.

Ritesh Sharma, vice-captain of the Punjab team, was declared the best player of the tournament.

T20 meet on Nov 24

Chandigarh, November 2
The Chandigarh Sports and Recreation Club will conduct the inaugural Inter-Corporate/Telecom/Media/Institution employees League-cum-knockout Twenty20 Cricket Tournament at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium here from November 24. Only employees of institutions would be eligible to take part. — TNS

St Anne’s thrash Mount Carmel
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 2
The hosts St Anne's Convent School, Sector 32, thrashed Mount Carmel School, Sector 47, by 9 wickets in the IInd Sister Alberta Memorial Inter-School Cricket Tournament at the school grounds here yesterday.

Batting first, Mount Carmel were bowled out for 57 in 16 overs. For St Anne’s, T.P. Singh took 3 wickets for 17 followed by Ripunjya, who finished 2 for 13.

AG Himachal, UP in final
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 2
Defending champion AG Himachal Pradesh and AG Uttar Pradesh set up title clash in the IA and AD North Zone Volleyball Tournament at Sports Complex, Sector 7, here yesterday.

AG HP drubbed the hosts AG Punjab 3-0 (25-18, 25-18 and 25-19) in the first semi final, whereas in the other semi final AG UP got the better of AG Haryana 3-0 (25-15, 25-13, 25-15). The final match will be played tomorrow at 11 am.