Cold wave conditions in the region
Chandigarh: Large parts of Punjab and Haryana reeled under biting chill on Thursday as the mercury dipped below 6 degrees Celsius at several places. Hisar was the coldest in Haryana with a minimum temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) weather bulletin. The lowest minimum temperature in Punjab was recorded in Amritsar at 4.2 degrees Celsius. Piercing cold also swept Chandigarh, the common capital of the two states, which recorded a low of 5.7 degrees Celsius. Fog in the morning at most places in both states reduced visibility levels. Foggy weather has prevailed in the region during morning hours for the past over a week. As the minimum temperatures hovered below normal limits at several places in Haryana, Narnaul reeled under biting chill, recording a low of 5 degrees Celsius. According to IMD's bulletin, Fatehabad, Jhajjar, Ambala, and Karnal also experienced a cold night recording a low of 5.4 degrees Celsius, 6 degrees Celsius, 6.4 degrees Celsius, and 6.5 degrees Celsius respectively. In Punjab, Faridkot, Bathinda, Ludhiana, and Gurdaspur also braved intense chill recording respective minimum temperatures of 5.5 degrees Celsius, 5.6 degrees Celsius, 5.9 degrees Celsius, and 6 degrees Celsius.
UT Administrator inaugurates advanced Paediatric Centre at GMCH-16
Chandigarh: The Governor of Punjab and UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit on Thursday inaugurated Advanced Paediatric Centre at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) -16. A 32-bedded Paediatric Care Unit, the Advanced Paediatric Centre received approval from the Government of India under the Emergency COVID-19 Response and Health System Preparedness package – Phase II (ECRP- Phase II). A budget of Rs. 225 lakhs was allocated by the Government of India for infrastructure preparedness and the establishment of the Paediatric Centre of Excellence. The Advanced Paediatric Centre (APC) aims to deliver high-quality, state-of-the-art specialized care to paediatric patients. It features a 12-bedded hybrid ICU unit comprising 4 ventilator beds and 8 High Dependency Unit (HDU) beds. Additionally, the centre includes 20 oxygen-supported beds and offers services such as EEG, Echocardiography, and Ultrasonography. Round-the-clock services like X-Ray, ECG, sample collection, pharmacy, blood transfusion, nebulisation, etc., are available to manage sick and critical patients. Tele-consultation services are provided in collaboration with PGIMER, Chandigarh, serving as a Centre of Excellence, a statement said.
Himachal Governor honours 41 women with Nari Shakti Samman
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Thursday said the women are playing leading roles in various fields of development and have become an inspiration for others. Speaking as the chief guest at the Nari Shakti Samman Samaroh-2024, he said women’s power, which starts from creation to establishing the society, is worthy of respect. “She has not only proved herself in the male dominated society but is also leading the society,” the governor said. He gave Nari Shakti Samman to 41 leading women from different fields, including education, medicine, enterprise, sports, art, folk culture, agriculture, environment and social service on the occasion. Congratulating the women who received the awards, he said that this would encourage them to move ahead in all spheres and motivate them to do better and be a role model for other women. The governor said that respect for women has been the basis of our culture, adding “our history is incomplete without the mention of the contribution of scholars like Gargi, Maitreyi and brave women like Rani Lakshmibai, Ahilyabai Holkar”.