Thalassaemics have reason to cheer
Sales tax on drugs may go
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, August 2
The thalassaemics got a reason to smile when the Punjab Governor and the UT Administrator, Justice O.P. Verma, today directed that the 8.8 per cent sales tax on at least two drugs used by persons with this genetic disorder be waived. The drugs are Deferral injection (Desferoxamine) and Kelfer (Deferiprone).

After inaugurating a blood donation camp organised by the Thalassaemic Children Welfare Association at the PGI, Justice Verma asked the UT Deputy Commissioner and Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Mr Arun Kumar, to see that the sales tax on these life-saving drugs be waived.

The development is significant, as 345 youngsters, including 85 girls, from the region are enrolled with the Thalassaemic Children Welfare Association here. This is not all. Every year, the PGI receives nearly 100 requests for enrollment in this Advanced Paediatrics Centre (APC) unit. India has the largest number of thalassaemia carriers in the world. Every year, nearly 15,000 new cases are added to this number. Only 2 per cent of the cases are clinically detected in the country, while the rest of the children die without diagnosis. Nearly 240 million persons in the world carry thalassaemia genes.

Till date, there is no therapy for the disorder. Bone-marrow transplant is a solution, but it costs about Rs 30 lakh. Still, there is no permanent cure and only regular blood transfusion can prolong the life of the patients.

The patients require blood transfusion to keep up the haemoglobin level, due to the constant destruction of red blood corpuscles.

The association was formed in 1987 after parents of the children suffering from the disorder got together. The PGI Department of Paediatrics chipped in with a special blood transfusion unit at the APC. It was initially set up to accommodate 150 children, but now has 345 children.

A preventive step could be to introduce screening for thalassaemia. Even in order to avoid marriage between two thalassaemia carriers, mass screening is essential. Once a child with thalassaemia is born, further births must be avoided by screening family and relatives, including the ones planning to get married or have a child.

In case of marriage between two thalassaemia carriers, pre-natal diagnosis to check if the foetus is affected should be done between the 10th and 12th week of pregnancy. In extreme cases, parents can then go in for medical termination of pregnancy. Justice Verma said law should make thalassaemia screening mandatory in schools. Screening should also be made mandatory for couples before marriage.

Cataract can be cured at any stage
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, August 2
The effect of medicines available in the market to prevent cataract has not been proved, said the chief executive officer of Grewal Eye Institute, Dr S.P.S. Grewal, during a conference to spread the awareness about cataract and the new techniques in its surgery.

Speaking on the occasion, he said, “Neither can the medicines arrest the progress in early stages of cataract formation”.

He specifically pointed out that the common people often use eye drops with hope to prevent cataract. Cataract can only be treated through surgery. Dr Grewal further added that the popular notions of mature (pucca) and immature (kutcha) cataract has no relevance to surgery. Modern surgical treatment can take care of cataract at any stage. Dr Grewal wanted the public to be aware that the decision to operate depends on the visual handicap of a person and need for better vision and not on the extent and stage of cataract. Ultimately a person’s concern is with vision and not cataract.

He also used this platform to bring to notice the pre-operative and post-operative precautions for surgery. Talking about the conventional method of surgery, Dr Grewal specified that there are safer and quicker methods for cataract surgery.

The most interesting of them is the “phaco-emulsification”. “The best thing about this surgery is that it uses a small-incision and no stitches,” he said.

Referring to the symptoms of cataract, Dr Grewal mentioned painless and slowly progressive blurring of vision, as the commonest symptoms.

Glare at night and multiple visions can occur sometime. After the age of 40 any decrease in vision calls for a detailed eye check-up.

Charitable dispensary opened
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 2
A free charitable dispensary, Sri Sri Chikitsa Kendra, was inaugurated at Industrial Area Phase I this evening. This was followed by a bhajan sandhya by Chitra ji from Art of Living.

This dispensary has been upgraded from a pathological laboratory being run by the Art of Living Vyakti Vikas Kendra. A volunteer has offered a vacant plot in Industrial Area for setting up the dispensary, which will help provide medical facilities to residents of Abheypur, Baltana, Budanpur and the slum and labour colonies located nearby. Well qualified doctors and technicians and nurses have already been engaged for the purpose .

This dispensary will run for eight hours a day and medicines will be distributed free of cost. The staff at the dispensary will also engage in community health services by conducting door-to-door survey of villages to maternal health and natal health.

Tisha, Mohit annex badminton titles
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, August 2
Tisha and Mohit clinched the under-10 girls and boys section titles, respectively, in the Panchkula District Badminton Championship played here today at the Sector 3 Sports Complex, Panchkula. Tisha defeated Palak 11-1,11-2 while Mohit prevailed upon Prabal 15-3,15-1.

In the boys under-13 singles semi-finals, Dhruv beat Rythem 11-15, 15-3, 15-6 while Akshit Mahajan defeated Gaurav 15-2, 15-7. Mohini and Kannu Aggarwal also sailed in the under-13 and under-19 girls final, respectively, by beating their respective opponents Muskan 11-6, 11-9 and Ashish 11-6, 11-9.

In the men singles section, Prateek, Sachin, Saurav and Ravik entered the next round.

Gaurav beat Ashish to made it to the under-19 boys singles final with scores being 15-11, 8-15, 17-16.

The remaining finals to be played tomorrow at 8 am onwards.

Carrom tourney

Top seeds Pallavi Piplani in the girls section and Taranpreet in the boys section made it to the last eight of the Sixth St Stephen’s Carrom Ranking Carrom Tournament being organised by the St Stephen’s School and the Chandigarh Carrom Association here today. Pallavi outplayed Gursimrat 25-0 and Taranpreet too blanked Ishan Ratho 25-0.

The results of the matches played are: boys: sub-junior-third round: Taranpreet b Ishan Ratho 25-0; Karan Kapoor b Akshit Joshi 25-0; Viren Sood b Mudit 25-1; Nikhil Patwal b Chanpreet 25-0; Piyush Sood b Sumit Singh 25-0; Varun Sood b Jitender 25-0; Girls (sub-junior) second round: Pallavi Piplani b Gursimrat 25-0; Nidhi Kunwar b Simar 25-0; Birinder Kaur b Sumegha 12-7; Harshpreet b Tanvi Goyal 25-4; Simridhi Piplani b Pallavi Nagpal 24-11; Komal Sodhi b Kavan 25-0; Harmeet Kaur b Dipti 17-1.

Judo championship

The Amateur Judo Association of Chandigarh will hold the Chandigarh State Sub-junior Judo Championship on August 10 and 11 at Ajit Karam Singh International Public School, Sector 41. Judokas in the age group 10-14 years are eligible to take part. The UT team for its participation in the national sub-junior judo championship at Guwahati from August 20 to 24 will be selected during this championship.