HEALTH

Advanced eye surgery facility at DMCH
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, September 15
Dayanand Medical College and Hospital claims to have acquired expertise in Advanced Vitreo-Retinal Surgery, the most advanced form of eye surgery, after its faculty members received training at the Tennent Institute of Ophthalmology, Glasgow in the UK. Dr S.C. Ahuja, Principal, DMCH, in a press statement today said some faculty members had learnt phacoemulsification (stitchless cataract surgery through a corneal tunnel incision), which was not adequately available in India. The complicated eye diseases, which were earlier difficult or impossible to treat, would be treated through the new techniques that one of the doctors, Dr Dinesh Garg, had learnt in the UK, claimed Dr Ahuja.

Talking about the new technique, he said it would be beneficial for the patients suffering from blindness due to diabetes, which was a common cause of blindness in developed countries." Some of the patients who do not respond to conventional screening methods can now be treated through vitreous surgery and endolaser photocoagulation. Not only this, patients with retinal detachment, advanced diabetic disease with vitreous hemorrhage can now hope to get some useful vision with this new technique”, Dr Dinesh, added.

Through the new technique the postoperative care will be minimal and the recovery will be very fast. Also there will no dependence on spectacles. Camp surgeries were being geared to include phacoemulsification as it had distinct advantages over the routine cataract surgery. There will be an intraocular lens implantation through a stitchless incision. “It is specially important in poor socially and economically deprived people, who cannot take adequate post operative care and care of their glasses”, he said.

Although, the cost is very high, it will come down every year with new advances in IOLs and the Phaco machines. This will go a long way in curing the preventable cataract blindness in India. Macular hole and age-related macular degeneration, the diseases which were considered untreatable until recently, can now be managed by these new techniques. All these advances have created a new hope for patients of these disorders.

SPORTS

Club to hold national-level meet
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, September 15
A new team of office-bearers of the Mata Sahib Sports Club, Jarkhar village, was constituted at a meeting of the club held at hotel Mehfil here yesterday. The term of this body will be two years, said Mr Jagroop Singh Jarkhar, chief organiser of the club. It was decided in the meeting that the club would organise a hockey tournament of national level at Jarkhar village in the month of October.

The new office-bearers are:- patrons — Mr Harpal Singh Lehal, Bhai Ranjit Singh and Mr Major Singh; chairman — Mr Narinder Pal Sidhu, PPS; president — Mr Daljit Singh; Chief Organiser — Mr Jagroop Singh Jarkhar; president (tournament committee) — Mr Balbir Singh; vice-presidents — Mr Tejpal Singh Sidhu, Mr Surjit Singh Nagra and Mr Raghbir Singh; general secretary — Master Shingara Singh; joint secretaries — Mr Tehal Singh and Mr Kuldip Singh; treasuer — Dr Jagjit Singh; executive committee members — Mr Deepinder Singh, Mr Manminder Singh, Mr Tejinder Singh, Mr Harminder Pal Singh, Mr Ranjit Singh, Mr Harjinder Singh, Mr Bachan Singh, Mr Bhag Singh and Mr Joginder Singh; and advisers — Principal Ramdev, Mr Avtar Singh Mallah, Mr Manpreet Singh Grewal, Mr Iqbal Singh Sidhu and Mr Manjit Singh Khalsa.

SAMRALA

Welcomed: Lakshmi, a boxer of the local Shahi Rural Sports Academy, was extended a warm welcome here today. She had participated in the Asian Boxing Championship held from August 25 to August 29 in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. She stood second and won the silver medal.

Lakshmi had defeated her rival, Ms Chaveena of Thailand, in the second-round itself, in the light middle weight category.