PGI and Rotary to work for a TB-Free Chandigarh

Walkathon held at Sukhna Lake to observe World TB Day

On the World TB Day, the Department of Pediatrics PGIMER and Rotary Club Chandigarh have teamed up for TB-Free Chandigarh.

A walkathon was organized at Sukhna Lake, which marked the beginning of a partnership towards global initiative to End TB, and generate public awareness.

Dr Jagat Ram, Director, PGIMER, along with his wife flagged off the walkathon in which Rotarians including Past Rotary International President Rajendra K. Saboo, Rotaractors, nursing staff of PGI, students and teachers of Bhavan Vidyalaya Chandigarh, and citizens participated.

Rtn. Dr. Meenu Singh, head of pediatric pulmonology Advanced Pediatrics Centre at PGI said that Chandigarh harbours nearly 3,000 notified TB patients and approximately 250 pediatric patients.

Department of Pediatrics, PGIMER and Rotary Club Chandigarh have teamed up and shall be working together to combat TB in Chandigarh  through a series of event like screening for patients in residential colonies and organising public awareness campaign, she said.

This curable disease is still the world’s deadliest killer claiming nearly 4,000 lives per day globally and through a concerted efforts by WHO and different global agencies since 2000, nearly 54 million lives have been saved.

Last year the Prime Minister of India gave a clarion call to end TB by 2025, five years earlier than the global target.

The walkathon marks the partnership of PGIMER with Rotary Club of Chandigarh and accelerate action to End TB, said President A P Singh, President, Rotary Club of Chandigarh.

The theme of World TB Day 2019, ‘It’s time’, puts the accent on the urgency to act on the commitments made by global leaders to scale up access to prevention and treatment;  build accountability;  ensure sufficient and sustainable financing including for research;  promote an end to stigma and discrimination, and  promote an equitable, rights-based and people-centered TB response.

On 24 March 1882 Dr. Robert Koch officially announced the discovery of bacterium causing TB and it is this day each year which is observed as world tuberculosis day, to raise the public awareness about health, social, and economic consequences of the dreadful disease.

Kings XI Punjab and Rotary Chandigarh tribute to CRPF martyrs

Kings XI Punjab and Rotary Club Chandigarh give Rs.25 lakh to 5 families of martyrs from Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

Rs.5 lakh each to the CRPF jawans from Punjab and Himachal

In a unique campaign run by Kings XI Punjab, with the assistance of the Rotary Club for the CRPF jawans who lost their lives during the Pulwama attack, had their families present at the press meet today and were each given cheques of Rs 5 lakh by Kings XI Punjab.

The five CRPF jawans who lost their lives were Jaimal Singh from Dharamkot, District Moga; Sukhjinder Singh from Tehsil Patti, District Taran Taran; Maninder Singh Attri from Dinanagar, District Gurdaspur; Kulwinder Singh from Tehsil Anandpur Sahib, District Rupnagar; and Tilak Raj from Kangra, Himachal Pradesh

Present at the event were Kings XI Head of Operations Anant Sarkaria, Rotary District Governor Rtn. Praveen Goyal, Rotary Club Chandigarh President Rtn. A.P. Singh, Kings XI Captain Ravichandran Ashwin, Mayank Agarwal, and Mandeep Singh in the presence of Senior DIG CRPF Punjab V.K. Kaundal, and other senior Rotarians.

Anant Sarkaria said, “We are extremely grateful to have partnered with the Rotary Club of Chandigarh for this project who have helped us connect with the families of our brave jawans, who put their lives on the line every single day for us, and we as a team would like to stand behind and honour their sacrifice.”

These five jawans being honoured were part of the 78-vehicles convoy carrying 2,547 CRPF personnel who were ambushed and attacked at Pulwama on 14th February.

Rotary Club Chandigarh President Rtn A.P.Singh said that three years back we had initiated the project of sending 5000 kg of sweets every  Diwali to the jawans at the border, and we are grateful to KXIP for making us a vehicle of doing good for the Pulwama martyrs as well.

Mohan Fibre Products supports blood donation movement

Mohan Fibre Products Ltd, a leading manufacturer of moulded fibre packaging for fruits, contributed Rs.21.50 lakh to the Rotary & Blood Bank Society Resource Centre of Chandigarh in April this year out of its CSR funds to support the purchase of a new mobile blood donation van.

Past Rotary International President Rajendra K Saboo, Chairman of the Centre along with the Director Dr Manish Rai, Administrator Surinder Pal Kaur, Rotary Club President P.S. Matharoo, along with other board members of the Mohan Fibre including Managing Director Mr Krishan Kumar, Mr Brijesh Kumar, Rtn Past District Governor Madhukar Malhotra.

Rtn Krishan Kumar had been a great supporter of humanitarian causes and had earlier supported generously the 'Kayakalp' project at PGI in the paediatric ward, said Rajendra K Saboo.

Handing over the cheque to the Centre, Rtn Krishan Kumar, in his most humble way, assured all support to the Centre for any further requirements.

The order for the van has been placed with the Swaraj Mazda for supply and fabrication of the van.

Rotary and Blood Bank Society Resource Centre is one of the finest modern blood bank promoted jointly by Rotary Club of Chandigarh and the Blood Bank Society. 

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Barry Rassin to lead Rotary International next year

Following the unfortunate demise of Samuel Frobisher Owori, who was to take up the leadership of Rotary International in 2018-19, the nominating committee has selected Barry Rassin of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, for the position. He will be declared the president-elect on 1 September if no challenging candidates have been suggested.

As president, Rassin aims to strengthen our public image and our use of digital tools to maximize Rotary’s reach.

“Those who know what good Rotary clubs do will want to be a part of it, and we must find new models for membership that allow all interested in our mission to participate,” he says. “With Rotary more in the public eye, we will attract more individuals who want to be part of and support a membership organization that accomplishes so much good around the world.”

Rassin earned an MBA in health and hospital administration from the University of Florida and is the first fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives in the Bahamas. He recently retired after 37 years as president of Doctors Hospital Health System, where he continues to serve as an adviser. He is a lifetime member of the American Hospital Association and has served on several boards, including the Quality Council of the Bahamas, Health Education Council, and Employer’s Confederation.

A Rotarian since 1980, Rassin has served Rotary as director and is vice chair of The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees. He was an RI training leader and the aide to 2015-16 RI President K.R. Ravindran.

Rassin received Rotary's highest honor, the Service Above Self Award, as well as other humanitarian awards for his work leading Rotary’s relief efforts in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake there. He and his wife, Esther, are Major Donors and Benefactors of The Rotary Foundation.