Leprosy-hit join festivities
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 15
Some 300-odd inmates of the Leprosy Home at Tahirpur, today celebrated the Independence Day with a good gathering from outside.

The home which houses the people who are leprosy-hit, are often treated as “outcaste” by the rest of the society. It was an Independence Day with a difference for these men, women and children, who took pride and celebrated the 55th anniversary of the country’s freedom with people outside the four walls of their sanitarium.

Holding little Tricolour paper flags in their deformed but determined hands, the inmates of the Leprosy Home run by Mother Teresa’s famed Missionaries of Charity (MoC) sang patriotic songs.

MoC’s Sisters, attired in their trademark white sarees with blue borders, along with other staff members also joined the inmates in the celebrations. “If it was a feast for them, it was a festival for most of us who have little time to peep into their world and learn to be happy in the most adverse circumstances,” said Abhimanyu Gulati, the Chief of the National People’s Rights Front and the brain behind the show.

“While we celebrate Independence Day in a small way every year, it was mostly an internal affair. It is for the first time that so many people from outside celebrated the day with our inmates. They are feeling very happy and elated,” said Sister Bede, incharge of the home.

Three-day health mela at Khurja
Our Correspondent

New Delhi, August 15
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in special cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and various hospitals of Noida, like Prakash Hospital, Kailash Hospital, Escorts Heart Institute and Metro Hospital, is organising a three-day health mela at Khurja from August 17 to 19.UP state has also joined in this effort for poor and needy patients. This idea was first mooted by the Minister of State for Labour, Mr Ashok Pradhan.

The mela offers free investigation and diagnostic tests with the latest techniques- auto analyser with 100 per cent accuracy, ECG, echocardiography, colour Doppler, ultrasound and X-ray. Cataract operations, vasectomy NSV and tubectomy lapro will be carried out free of cost. Free consultation and screening of all types of diseases by experts in particular fields from central and state governments and private medical practitioners will also be done.

Voluntary sponsors like Ranbaxy, Dabur, Lupin and Himalaya will be distributing medicines free of cost. All material with information related to various national control programmes for diseases will be available. Different ministries of the Government of India will set up exhibition stalls.

The decision to hold the health mela was taken at a meeting earlier this month. The meeting was attended by Dr Mahesh Sharma, Kailash Hospital, Dr Shamsheri, CMO, Bulandshahr, Dr Ritu Sood of NMC, Dr P. Lal, Metro Hospital, Dr V. S. Chaudhary, CMD, Vinayak Hospital, who is also president of the Gautam Budh Nagar unit of the BJP, Mr Vijendra Pratap Solanki, representative of Sansad, experts from ESIC, Dr A.K.Khokar, Dr Rajiv Garg, Dr Awadhesh Kant, Dr Jain and high officials from the state government and the Ministry of Labour. The meeting was presided over by Mr Ashok Pradhan.

Homoeo hospital OPD to stay open till 8 pm
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 15
The Out Patient Department (OPD) at Nehru Homoeopathic Hospital will function in two shifts up to 8 pm. The OPD used to function between 8 am and 4 pm.

Health Minister AK Walia on Thursday said the shift and working hours had been increased to meet the rush of patients to the hospital. The announcement came after he inaugurated a homoeopathic dispensary at Karkardooma in East Delhi.

The working hours would be between 8 am and 8 pm on all days, including Sundays and gazetted holidays except, of course, the national holidays.

Taking into consideration people’s increasing faith in this school of medicine, the minister said on the occasion the Government of NCT of Delhi had established 58 homoeopathic hospitals and dispensaries.

SPORTS

Delhi Admn rout BSNL
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, August 15
Delhi Administration inflicted a 5-0 defeat on Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) in an A Division league match of the Delhi Soccer Association-SAIL Institutional Football League Championship at the Ambedkar Stadium in the Capital on Thursday.

Delhi Administration led by two goals at the interval, scored by Harish Negi and B Adhikari, who scored in the 16th and 21st minutes respectively.

In the second half, outside left Rajeev Bhalla struck a brace of goals in the 44th and 50th minutes while inside-left Jai Mohan rounded off the tally in 54th minute.

Delhi Administration have collected seven points from three matches while BSNL have earned three points from two matches.

Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) edged past Customs and Excise 3-1, after leading by 2-1 at half time. DTC took the lead in the opening minute of the match through Raj Sharma.

Twenty minutes later, Customs and Excise pulled off the equaliser when Ranjeet Rana’s powerful shot found its way into the goal (1-1). Mid-fielder Victor Charles regained the lead for DTC in the 30th minute while Raj Sharma scored the winning goal in the 63rd minute.

DTC have garnered six points from two matches while Customs have earned three points from two matches. Friday’s fixtures: Delhi Audit vs Oriental Bank (3.15 p m); FCI (North Zone) vs Zakir Hussain College (4.30 p m)—Ambedkarr Stadium.

Nivia Soccer from today
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, August 15
Nivia Coaching Centre will take on Vasant Valley School, Vasant Vihar in the opening match of the All-India Nivia Football Tournament, starting at the Ambedkar Stadium on Friday.

Twenty-eight school teams will participate in the tournament in the under-14, under-16 and under-19 category. The opening match will start at 1.30 pm.