API like mysql_ping

<div class="Section1"><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial">Do we have an API like mysql_ping to check whether the server is up and running after the connection
hasbeen established?</span></font><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; 
font-family:Arial"> </span></font><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial">I checked the PostgreSQL docs but of no use.</span></font><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial"
size="2"><spanstyle="font-size:10.0pt; 
font-family:Arial">Is there any work around for this?</span></font><p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial"
size="2"><spanstyle="font-size:10.0pt; 
font-family:Arial"> </span></font><p class="MsoNormal"><em><b><i><font face="Times New Roman" size="2"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold">Regards,</span></font></i></b></em><pclass="MsoNormal"><em><b><i><font
face="TimesNew Roman" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-weight:bold">Siva
Kumar.K</span></font></i></b></em><pclass="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 
12.0pt"> </span></font></div>