Christmas Camp Fire Celebrations at CMC Hospital”

Photo Courtesy:Troop Reunion

Christmas Celebrations are Continued at CMC Hospital of Ludhiana also.A musical camp fire celebrated at children’s park on Saturday night. Camp fire is a known happy event of Christmas days. Peoples enjoyed the rise of winter together and made it a part of their happy memories. A campfire is a fire lit at a campsite, giving light, warmth and allowing cooking. In established campgrounds they are usually in a fire ring for safety. Campfires are a popular feature of camping, particularly among organized campers such as Scouts or Guides. In some regions it is called a bonfire, especially when it is of a very large size. Co-ordinated by Rev. Stanley Thomas and his team in the Fellowship Department, CMC & Hospital organized the C.M.C Christmas Camp 2010 in the evening at the children’s park CMC. There was an array of cultural items and prayer. The programme attended by a huge gathering of about 3,000 people including C.M.C staff along with their families and friends of the hospital. Representatives from local churches also graced the program. 

Photo courtesy:Thwink Org.

 The entire gathering sang the Christmas Hymn. “Oho Masih Aya Zamin Par Khushi.” Rev.JN.Noel in his Opening Prayer asked for world peace along with happiness for the CMC&H staff and their families. He wished that the year ahead be one of professional contentment with the spirit of service worthy of the Healing Ministry of Christ. The welcome note was delivered by the Director, Dr.A.G Thomas. He reminded all the Significance of Christmas- of love, peace, tolerance, care of the poor and upliftmen of society while welcoming the congregation to commit themselves to be christ like.

Photo Courtesy:Metblogs

 Several Group songs were presented by participants from Maintence Staff, Combined Paramedicals, Clerical Staff, Nursing Deptt and Campus Staff children. The Ancillary Staff presented a Quawwali. With a warm campfire to keep the audience warm on a chilly December night, Gospel Singer, Mr.Gopal Masih was the guest speaker. The camp-fire programme concluded with a prayer. Associate Director, Dr.Kim Mammen, Dr.SM Bhatti, Principal Medical College, Mrs.Triza Jewan Principal College of Nursing, Principal Dental College Dr.Abhi.M Thomas, Medical Superintendent Dr.Kanwal Masih, Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr.Nitin and Dr Valsa were also present on the occasion. Rector Kathuria

35% heart patients needing surgery are from the villages

Dr Bedi  at the camp with 2 patient 

Rural Punjab reports a very high incidence of diabetes, high blood cholesterol level and obesity. These, in turn, manifest as cardiac problems. This was stated by Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana. He made this observation at the free cardio vascular counseling, detection and prevention camp organized jointly by the Christian Medical College & Hospital and the Mata Kaushalya Devi Pahwa Charitable Hospital in Village Hambran in Ludhiana.

A very high incidence of heart and vascular disease was noted in this rural area. This was no surprise - Dr Bedi said - as about 35% of his heart patients needing surgery are from the villages. The camp was held to try and look at the reasons for this apparent discrepancy. While it is true that villages have a clean non polluted atmosphere and the pace of life is generally relaxed – but at the same time there has been a gradual change in lifestyle. The hard manual labour is now being done mostly by migrant workers while the cholesterol rich diet remains as before. Consequently the body is unable to metabolise all the calories consumed leading to deposits in the arteries. Also urbanization of rural areas is taking place, and so the urban-rural difference is decreasing and more and more rural people are getting this disease. India in 2010 accounts for nearly 60 per cent of the global heart ailments as per WHO statistics.  It is also seen that Indians had more common involvement at younger age with smaller coronary arteries; diffuse distal disease, multi-vessel disease and higher incidence in women. This could be due to the rising incidence of drug addiction in rural youth.

Also focusing on poor medical care in rural and remote areas, the camp study recognised that people with heart disease in rural Punjab received slower care than people in the cities and were more likely to die before reaching a hospital. Heart attack rural patients head to hospitals in buses or tractors rather than ambulances, and pay for the treatments out of their own pockets because of ignorance regarding health insurance.

Dr Bedi stressed on the benefits of addressing the root cause of heart disease in Punjab. Punjabi diet is very rich compared to that of the population living in southern part of the country. It is for this reason that we are witnessing people at young age getting heart attacks.

One can easily do three things for preventing heart diseases Dr Bedi told the gathering in the village. Eat less fried food, less butter and ghee. Second, exercise daily for around 45 minutes. And third, reduce stress in life. Because of the nature of the work, we have become over stressed. So things like yoga, meditation & entertainment help a person to relax. A special dietary counseling and individualized yoga therapy was an intergral part of the camp.

The team included Dr A Gupta, Dr Prashant, Dr Meenu, Dietitians Dt D Dhillon and Dt Nitya, Yoga Acharya Nirmal Singh, Staff nurses headed by Sister Balwinder Kaur, Mr Emmanuel and Mr William. Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMC & H – said that the outreach programmes were an integral and important part of the basic philosophy of CMC so that medical care could reach one and all in this region. Onkar Singh Pahwa – MD of Avon Cycles and Pahwa Hospital said that they were ready to bring the latest technology to the rural masses so that they can avail of the best medical facilities.  , MLA Darshan Singh Shivalik and Sarpanch Sukhdev Singh Toor also activel participated in the camp.

Dr Bedi may be contacted at 98140-60480 for any clarification....: Rector Kathuria 

Pakistan is most dangerous Country for Journalists- CPJ

Forty-two journalists were killed around the world this year and Pakistan was the deadliest country of all, a study by the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Wednesday.

Pakistan led the list of fatalities with eight, followed by Iraq with four and three each in Honduras and Mexico, the New York-based CPJ said.

The total number of reporters killed in connection with their profession was much lower than in 2009, when the record figure of 72 worldwide was skewed by a one-off massacre in the Philippines.

In addition to the 42 known to have been killed this year, another 28 journalists died in still unclear circumstances, the CPJ said.

"The killing of 42 journalists in 2010, while a decline over previous years, is still unacceptably high and reflective of the pervasive violence journalists confront around the world," said CPJ executive director Joel Simon.

"From Afghanistan to Mexico, Thailand to Russia, the failure of governments to investigate crimes against the press contributes to a climate of impunity that ultimately fuels further violence."

Most of the 42 deaths were murders, while 40 percent took place in combat and other dangerous circumstances.

"Suicide bombings and crossfire in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Thailand, and Somalia accounted for the unusually high proportion," the CPJ said.
Nearly all the victims were local reporters. Six of them were Internet-based journalists.

"CPJ research shows that about 90 percent of journalist murders go unsolved despite the fact that many victims -- 60 percent in 2010 -- reported receiving threats in the weeks before they were killed," the rights group said in a statement.
Iftikhar Chaudri 
President
Journalists for International Peace.

Amnesty International Calls on Chinese Authorities to Reveal Whereabouts of Mongolian Human Rights Activist

Posted on:Wed, Dec 15, 2010 at 9:17 PM

Washington, D.C.: Amnesty International has called on the Chinese authorities to immediately reveal the whereabouts of  Hada, a missing Inner Mongolian human rights activist, who was due to be released last Friday, and two of his family members. 

“China is using enforced disappearance to keep activists and their family members out of the spotlight while the world’s attention is focused on China’s first Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo” said Catherine Baber, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific deputy director.

Hada’s wife Xinna and son Uiles have reportedly been detained in an unknown location for at least ten days by the Inner Mongolian Public Security Bureau.  Hada appears to have joined them since at least last Friday.
Hada, who like many ethnic Mongolians goes by a single name, was scheduled for release on December 10, 2010 after serving 15 years for “splittism” and “espionage” due to his involvement in the Southern Mongolian Democratic Alliance.  Amnesty International considered him a prisoner of conscience.

His wife Xinna and son Uiles were detained by authorities on December 4, and their family bookstore raided. The Public Security Bureau told relatives that Xinna was held on suspicion of running an illegal business, and Uiles was accused of drug-dealing.

The authorities urged Uiles to “clearly draw a line” between himself and his parents and not to engage in separatist activities. He was released later that day, only to be detained again on December 5.

According to the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center, Hada’s sister-in-law Naraa received an anonymous CD of photographs of the three missing family members eating together, date stamped December 10.

On December 14 she was reportedly summoned to the Public Security Bureau and  informed that the three missing relatives were being held in a five star hotel. She was not told which hotel or for how long they would be held.

“The Chinese authorities must immediately clarify Hada and his wife and son’s current status and whereabouts," said Baber. "They cannot simply hide people they find embarrassing or inconvenient."
Hada served his sentence in Chifeng Prison in Ulaanhad, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In 2004, an inmate who was released from Chifeng Prison reported that Hada was routinely abused there, subjected to disciplinary punishments ranging from solitary confinement to being chained onto a metal “shackle board”.

In November, authorities placed writer and activist Huuchinhuu under illegal house arrest. She had been planning a party for Hada upon his release.

Before he was arrested in 1995, Hada was the general manager of the Mongolian Academic Bookshop in Hohhot, and involved in the Southern Mongolian Democratic Alliance, which aimed to promote human rights, Mongolian culture and “a high degree of autonomy for China’s minority nationalities, as guaranteed in [China’s] Constitution”.

Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 2.8 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. 

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‘Elekta Compact installed at CMC Ludhiana

Ludhiana: Christian Medical College, Ludhiana (CMCL) is a premier institute of the region providing Radiotherapy facilities for Cancer patients since 1938. It was the 1st centre in the region to provide Megavoltage Radiotherapy in 1958 by installation of Eldorado-A Teletherapy machine which was received by Govt. of India under Colombo Plan and donated to the institute. The institute has upgraded its facilities by installing a 6MV Linear Accelerator, ‘Elekta Compact’ Radiation Therapy machine. It is Elekta’s 1st unit to be equipped with Multileaf Collimator (MLC) and Electronic Portal Imaging Device (EPID). 

It is ably supported by Spiral CT Scan, 1.5 T MRI and other imaging equipments already existing in the Radiodiagnosis department, Advanced CMS Treatment Planning System, Mosaiq workstation and complete Radiation Dosimetric equipment. With all this infrastructure, it will be possible to deliver Conventional Radiation Therapy, 3-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy (3-D CRT) and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). These techniques help to tailor the Treatment volume to the précised Target volume thus sparing the normal tissues entrapped by and/ or around the tumour to the maximum. This facilitates to reduce the complications of treatment and increase the compliance to the planned treatment, thus increasing the probability of cure. 

With the availability of this equipment, CMCL is able to provide Comprehensive Cancer Treatment Services fully supported by Dept of General Surgery and its specialties including Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Medical Oncology & Heamatology providing Bone Marrow Transplant facilities and supportive services for Palliative care. Further, this facility complies to the mission of the institution ie., Provision of State of Art facilities in Medicare which are community oriented, need based and affordable to the masses at large. 

The department is under the dynamic leadership of Dr M K Mahajan ably assisted by Dr Jaineet Sachdeva, Dr Pamela Jeyaraj, Dr Raja Paramjeet and Dr Sapna, all well trained Radiotherapists. Mr Murali Rajan, the Medical Physicist & Radiation Safety Officer will be looking after the equipment, Treatment Planning and the Quality Assurance programme.This facility is possible due to the commitment to bring state of art facility to CMC and the community by the administration of CMCL. It will be dedicated on 10th of December by Dr Rajinder Gyani, Chairman, Governing Board of Christian Medical College, Ludhiana & Society.  ---Rector Kathuria 

Amnesty International Calls on China to End Crackdown on Human Rights Activists Ahead of the Nobel Peace Prize Awards Ceremony

Posted on : Wed, Dec 8, 2010 at 9:51 PM

Washington, D.C.: Amnesty International is today calling on the Chinese government to end its intensifying crackdown on Chinese human rights activists ahead of the Nobel Peace Prize awards ceremony in Oslo on December 10. Amnesty International and Chinese human rights groups have documented hundreds of cases of people being detained, interrogated, or arrested in advance of the event honoring jailed Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo. 
“The Chinese government’s travel restrictions target not just human rights defenders, but also ordinary travelers who somehow trigger the government’s suspicion,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s secretary general. “This reaction violates Chinese law as well as China’s international obligations and constitutes a serious breakdown in the rule of law.” 
Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo is currently serving an 11-year sentence for “inciting subversion of state power" for his part as the leading author behind “Charter 08”, a manifesto calling for the recognition of fundamental human rights in China. 
Xiaobo has consistently maintained that the sentence violates both China's own constitution and basic human rights, but, like many others in China who have chosen to speak out, he has been severely punished. 
He is just one of thousands of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience currently being held in China. Among the recent cases that Amnesty International has highlighted are: 
*        Liu Xianbin, a prominent Sichuan democracy activist detained since June 28, 2010 on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power”. 
*        Gao Zhisheng, named one of China’s “top 10 lawyers” by the Ministry of Justice in 2001, he was later arrested and tortured for his human rights activities and has been “missing” since being taken by police from his home in Shaanxi Province on February 4, 2009. 
*        Tan Zuoren, an environmental activist critical of the high death rate in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake due to substandard construction, he was later convicted of “inciting subversion of state power” for commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre and sentenced to a five-year prison sentence. 
*        Hairat Niyaz, a Uighur journalist convicted on charges of “endangering state security” in the wake of the 2009 Urumqi riots, he is now serving a 15-year sentence and being held incommunicado. 
*        Dhondup Wangchen, a Tibetan filmmaker arrested, tortured and held without charge for more than a year before being sentenced in a secret trial to six years’ imprisonment for “inciting separatism”.         

“The Chinese government should release Liu Xiaobo and all the other prisoners of conscience,” said Shetty. “They should uphold internationally recognized human rights standards, many of which are enshrined in their own constitution.”

The recent crackdown also coincides with a concerted campaign by Chinese authorities to disrupt the Nobel awards ceremony. 
Nobel rules require the winner or his or her immediate family to personally accept the prize. Liu Xiaobo’s enforced absence means that for the first time since 1938, the peace prize will not be awarded at the ceremony.

Liu Xiaobo’s wife, Liu Xia, could have collected the award for him, but she has been detained by Chinese authorities and is currently under house arrest in Beijing. She is unable to move about freely and has not been allowed to be in contact with friends or family for nearly two months.

Chinese authorities have also pressured other countries to boycott the ceremony. However, despite a campaign of political and economic pressure, only 18 other countries have declined the invitation to the ceremony.

“The Chinese government should be celebrating this global recognition of a Chinese writer and activist,” said Shetty. “Instead, the government’s very public tantrum has generated even more critical attention inside and outside China – and, ironically, emphasized the significance of Liu Xiaobo’s message of respect for human rights.”

Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 2.8 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. 

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Wife, Mother Serves for Family, Country

By Army Spc. Amanda Brown  Task Force Phoenix WASHINGTON : When Army Sgt. Autumn Hughes re-enlisted at Bagram Airfield on Nov. 23, she renewed her commitment to the Army while remaining dedicated to her role as a wife and mother. Army Sgt. Autumn Hughes of Keyser, W.Va., serves with Task Force Phoenix in Afghanistan's Parwan province. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Nadine Gonzalez  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. This was the second re-enlistment for the 25-year-old Keyser, W.Va., native, currently assigned to Task Force Phoenix with the 10th Mountain Division's 3rd Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade. One of her re-enlistment options was a two-year stabilization at her home station, Fort Drum, N.Y. "I re-enlisted for the stabilization and because I plan on staying in for 20 years," said Hughes, noncommissioned officer in charge of the Task Force Phoenix communications and information management shop. "I serve in the Army for the protection of my family and my country." While this is her third deployment, it's the first time Hughes has been deployed with her husband, Army Sgt. Anthony Hughes Jr., a native of Syracuse, N.Y., who is a 10th Combat Aviation Brigade intelligence clerk in Task Force Falcon. He said deploying with his wife makes some things easier and that he is proud of her and her sense of duty. "I am extremely proud of what my wife is doing for our country," he said. "She has decided to stay in the Army despite us having a child, and still wants to serve. I think that it takes a very dedicated person to do this when given the opportunity to get out because of us being [a] dual-military [couple]." Hughes said she enjoys her job in the Army because it allows her the opportunity to meet and get to know a variety of people. As a signal support system specialist, she helps to set up the unit's computer systems. She runs cables, connects printers, manages share portals and sets up radio sets. It is her responsibility to take care of most things that deal with communication. With more than seven years in the Army, she said, she is familiar with facing challenges and learning to overcome them. "I take challenges on with a positive attitude," she said. "If I don't know how to fix it, I ask questions. I'm never afraid to ask questions." The couple's 11-month-old daughter, Summer, with is staying with Autumn's mother while the soldiers are deployed. "This is the first time I've had to [leave my daughter], and I'm going to admit it is hard, but I know what I'm doing for our daughter and one day she will understand why I had to do it," Hughes said. "There are times that are harder than some, but I have to push those feelings onto the back burner and keep my head in the game -– not only for myself, but for my soldiers." (Issued on :Dec. 2, 2010)

Related Sites:  U.S. Forces Afghanistan

6th National conference of paediatric endo-surgeons in early March next year

Ludhiana: The Department of Paediatric Surgery at the Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana is one of the few paediatric surgery departments in the country that does a variety of endoscopic surgeries in the country both in the chest and abdomen. The department has been given the honor hosting the national conference of paediatric endo-surgeons in early March next year.This was also disclosed here in a press conference at CMC Ludhiana.

During this conference a camp of endoscopic surgery will be held where the best surgeons from the United Kingdom, China & India will be performing common as well as complicated procedures. Those parents whose children need surgical procedures should contact the Department of Paediatric Surgery, Christian Medical College, Ludhiana as soon as possible and make use of this opportunity to be operated by the best surgeons from around the world. Dr.Abrahim G Thomas, Director CMC&H said that Paediatric Surgery Department is always looking to provide cutting edge surgical technology to children of North India.-Rector Kathuria  

Waiving Off the Second Wave

When in an interview published in 2009, I expressed my differences in ideas with Simone De Beauvoir, I found not only Indian feminists, but some western feminists came forward to protest my comments. One of known second-wave western feminists also asked me what I have done in my lifetime before protesting such eminent feminist like Beauvoir.
But recently an interview with German Family Minister Kristina Schroder, which made a wave of controversy in Germany, made me more enthusiastic that a whole new kind of struggle is emerging throughout the world.
I invite you to my blog Sense & Sensuality to share more with me at 


http://sarojinisahoo.blogspot.com/

Regards
Sarojini
(Sarojini Sahoo)
South Asian Federation of Artists (SAFA)

Journalist killed in Pakistan- JIP Condemns

Iftikhar Chaudri

The body of Abdul Hameed Hayatan, a young Baloch journalist who was kidnapped in the southwestern port city of Gwadaron 25 October), was found beside the River Sami in Turbat, 40 km to the east, on 18 November. The matter was reported by a local newspaper

His reporting critical of the Pakistani authorities and his support for the Baloch national movement were almost certainly the motive for his abduction and murder.

“If the local and federal authorities want to rein in the violence in the province of Balochistan, they must conduct an exhaustive and impartial investigation into Abdul Hameed Hayatan’s murder,” Reporters Without Borders said. “If it goes unpunished, the province’s journalists will have every right to treat it as another extrajudicial execution.”

Hayatan was shot in the head and chest. Marks on his body clearly indicated that he was tortured before being killed. The body of a student, Hamid Ismail, was found alongside Hayatan’s. In a reference to a Muslim Eid (festival) that has just ended, a message found with the bodies said: “Eid present for the Baloch people.”

Journalists based in Balochistan told Reporters Without Borders that Hayatan was probably murdered by members of the security forces (who are fighting Baloch armed separatists) or a Jihadi group.

Balochistan is by far the most dangerous region in Pakistan for the media. Three other reporters have been killed there this year. One was gunned down in June and two others were killed in suicide bombings, in April and September. Several cases of extrajudicial executions of journalists in Pakistan have not been investigated properly. They include the 2006 abduction and murder of Hayatullah Khan in the tribal area of North Waziristan.

Journalists For International Peace condemns brutal murder of the journalist and demanded early arrests of the culprits involved in the crime.    By--Iftikhar Chaudri ((Journalists for International Peace)

what is beauty

Beauty  is neither a thing nor an ideal but it is an emotion.

It is a feeling of being beautiful.

Only those with a pure and pious heart can see the beauty in nature and admire it.

It can be seen in the hardships of a tiny ant, in the leisurely walks of a giant elephant.

Beautiful,may look,the cries of an innocent child or the wrinkles of an old man or woman.

Every nook and corner of the earth is filled with beauty.

when, where and how  to locate it depends on each one of us.

As it is rightly said '" beauty lies in the eyes of beholder"

By-- Poonam Matia

Heart defect: only 5,000 children get treated in India

Every year about 2 lakh children in India are born with a congenital heart defect, but only 5,000 get treated.This was stated at CMC $ H during the inaugural function of 1st Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Programme-2010. Programme-2010."The Heart of a Champion" Organized by the Department of Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, CMC & H, Ludhiana on Friday. 

The Govt of Punjab under the National Rural Health Mission chose the Christian Medical College  & Hospital in Ludhiana  to be one of the few hospitals in Punjab to conduct surgeries for any Govt or Govt aided school going child totally free of cost. This is in view of the fact that there is an alarmingly high incidence of heart defects from birth (called congenital heart defects) in India. 

Photo Courtesy: NHLBI

The incidence is about 8 cases in every 1000  births. Every year about 2 lakh children in India are born with a congenital heart defect, but only 5,000 get treated. In India the valves of children get damaged by rheumatic fever and quite a few of them need surgery – but again most do not get treated in time.The reason for non treatment is a combination of ignorance and a lack of finances.Most heart defects can be treated in a single hospitalization with a good chance that the person will grow to be a normal productive adult. The CMC & H was chosen in view of the excellent infrastructure of CMC and the expertise and skills of the cardiac team.Dr Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery at CMC & H – has had extensive experience of treating children with complex heart diseases in his tenure at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Chidren in Sydney, Australia and at the Escorts Heart Institute New Delhi where he started the paediatric heart surgery programme after returning from abroad. 

Incidentally Dr Bedi’s surgical team has recently successfully completed the surgical treatment of 1000 cases of children with heart disease. Under the NRHM 50 cases have so far been operated in CMC & H. No case has been refused surgery. 95% of the cases have been operated upon within 2 days of referral. There were a few cases who were refused surgery by other reputed Institutes. One of these was Miss Gurmukhi from Gurdaspur. She had a large hole in the heart with severe damage to the heart and lungs and was refused surgery all over India. In her, Dr Bedi devised a new technique of putting in an innovative valve system in the hole so that it would open up in cases of emergency. Gurmukhi has made a remarkable recovery and is a happy and active child now. The other members of Dr Bedi’s surgical team are Dr A Joseph, Dr A Gupta, Dr V Tewarson, Sr Sanjiv , Dr Meenu and Dr Prashant.

Dr Bedi said that most heart defects can be fully treated so that the child has a normal life and an active lifestyle. In fact some of Dr Bedi’s operated patients are officers in the Indian Army and pilots. Their hearts - according to Dr Bedi - are the hearts of champions as they have overcome all odds to be productive members of the country.

Dr Bedi added that :

the aim at CMC & H is:  ‘To  give each child a childhood';

and our dream is ‘To to give each a normal adulthood’.

The function – titled “The Heart of a Champion” – is basically a Thanksgiving to the Almighty and to the Govt of Punjab and to the Health Minister who has initiated this life giving programme. The aim is also to create awareness about Heart Disease and its treatment and to give tips to the parents and the children about basic dental hygiene and nutrition. Dr Bedi said that after congenital heart defects the most important problem in children was of bad lifestyle habits which get inculcated in them at a young age – these include junk food, overindulgence by parents, reduced physical activity and addiction to drugs and tobacco.

The children who had been operated under this scheme gave a lively and spirited performance of dance and songs which was greatly appreciated by all. An educative brochure was released by the Health Minister – Prof Laxmi Kanta Chawla -  on the occasion. The Hon’able Minister said that she was very impressed with the excellent surgical results of CMC and the performance by the children.

The Guest from Govt. were Principal Secretary Health Mr Satish Chandra Dr.K.S. Dhillon Asstt. Director School Health,  Director of Family Health Dr Ashok Nayyar, Dr.J.P.Singh, Director Health Services and Dy Dir Dr KS Dhillon were also present on the occasion.

Dr.Kanwal Masih, Medical Superintendent, CMC& H, Dr.William Bhatti, Principle Christian Medical College and Hospital were also present on the occasion.

The Principal Secretary Health Mr Satish Chandra and the Director of Family Health Dr Ashok Nayyar and Dy Dir Dr KS Dhillon were also present on the occasion.

Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director – told that CMC & H is committed to bringing International level care to the children of this region rate so that no child should be denied therapy just because of cost.

Buy a radio for Burma. Break through the censorship

A letter from Amnesty 

TAKING ACTION TOGETHER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

‘As you know, in Burma, people cannot access information. They live [in] fear. This… radio project can help people get information... and to do something for change… I want to say thank you, thank you very much’  Dear Rector, This is just one of many thank you messages collected by the organisations that delivered 4000 radios to remote parts of Burma, radios bought by Amnesty supporters like you. They are moving testimonies to the impact of your generosity. But they also serve as powerful reminders that we need to do more. For just £12.50 you can help break down the wall of censorship for a whole village Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s opposition leader, has finally been released after spending 15 of the last 21 years under house arrest. While we are delighted at this news, more than 2,200 political prisoners remain behind bars in Burma. We continue to believe that until all freedoms of association, assembly and expression are honoured, no-one in Burma can truly be free. With help from our kind friends at The Co-operative we are hoping to raise enough money to send another 10,000 radios into Burma. In support of the campaign, they have agreed to donate a free radio for each of the first thousand radios purchased. It’s simple – if you’re quick you can ‘buy one get one free’ Watch the video below to see the real impact your radios have had on remote communities in Burma. We are aiming to deliver 10,000 more radios early next year. Please help us. Buy a radio today Thank you. Verity Coyle Burma Campaign Manager As expected, the recent election has done nothing to improve people’s rights - the government continues to attempt to control everything people watch, read and hear. Radio is one of the few tools that can help cut through the censorship by enabling people to access independent information, outside of state control. Please buy a radio now