Daily Archives: November 5, 2014

Joint Clinic on Wheels

JointCareTELANGANA05nov2014

Hyderabad :

The Joint Care Express, a state-of-the-art clinic (on wheels), consists of a lounge that can accommodate 10 patients at a time, creating an informative environment for them, with a variety of patient education tools available to the surgeon on board. The initiative aims at creating awareness among the masses on the seriousness of arthritis, which is reaching epidemic proportions, during the World Arthritis month and will travel across the city. The express also consists of Augmented Reality App that enables the surgeon to show the patient a computer generated image of the joints, thus providing a composite 3D view of how the knee joint looks, what causes arthritis and the steps of joint replacement surgery in a simplified visual form.

Orthopaedic surgeons associated with the initiative are Dr Akhil Dadi at Srikara Hospital and Dr. Sudhir Reddy at Landmark Hospital.

The patients who walk into any of the free clinics on board the Joint Care Express will be addressed by a doctor and taken through the steps that include post-operative care and rehabilitation.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by Express Features / November 04th, 2014

In altruistic, sporting sprit

Special arrangement / The Hindu
Special arrangement
/ The Hindu

Sports Coaching Foundation is reaching out to promote sporting activity in Government schools

Sports Coaching Foundation (at Masab Tank, Hyderabad ) has embarked on an innovative project ‘Build India Through Sports’ whichaims at not only spreading awareness about sports in select Government Schools but also ensure that a sports-friendly ambience is created on the premises with the hope of a continuity for sports activity.

“We initially hold discussions with the School management involving the Physical Education Teacher which is almost like a seminar and try to explain the importance of having sporting activity on their premises which should also result in better academic results. Recreation should be part of any curriculum,” feels K. Sai Baba, general secretary of the SCF which has already reached out to 50 such schools where some of the students who have never seen any sports equipment of quality are already getting a feel of what it is.

The second step, depending on the response of the schools, involves a visit by the coaching faculty armed with the basic sports equipment to give some sort of demo out on the sports arenas to lure students into sporting activity. “Mind you, this is not a commercial venture but purely funded by the NGO which is a non-profit organisation supported by crucial wings of the State government including the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation since 1991,” reminds Sai, a former Andhra Ranji cricketer and also Executive Committee member of the Hyderabad Cricket Association.

The project involves educating the children about the stupendous sporting achievements like five-time World women’s boxing champion Mary Kom, especially among the exclusive girls schools to provide the right dose of inspiration. “Yes, it is a fact that some of them don’t even have a level playing field, leave alone play facilities. That is exactly why we are trying to reach out by installing make-shift basketball rings, levelling whatever play area is available. We have provided dozens of footballs and basketballs to many schools already to see that there is some activity,” explains the SCF general secretary.

What is the reason for this project to take off? “From my own experience, it is the Government schools which lack the desired impetus and support. So, I thought let us start from there to cater to the lower strata of the society,” he replies.

The whole project is being pursued with sheer passion within the SCF’s limited financial resources and without any corpus fund for the same, he insists, adding, “We will be more than happy if there is sporting activity throughout the year; the SCF is always there to help any school in this regard.”.

In a way it is a concept which uses sports as a tool to facilitate personality development and develop human values, with the help of the success stories of champions like Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal are explained to the children. Also, school students have a platform by way of free-entry to events which the SCF conducts to showcase their skills and dream big.

Sai Baba points out that the response was really good in some schools like Sabdaria Girls High School (Mehdipatnam) which has 1200 students and the Errum Manzil Government High School. “It gives us immense pleasure that now many Government Schools are making use of the equipment we donated and also the basic infrastructure like creating volleyball, basketball, kho kho and kabaddi courts too,” he says.

Interestingly, many of the Government School students too get a feel of the bowling machine of the SCF, incidentally the first organization in India to get this way back in early 90s, digital speed gun. “We hope to contribute in our own small way for the promotion of sports. This is an on-going project,” signs off the SCF official.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metro Plus> Society / by V.V. Subrahmanhyam / November 05th, 2014