JAMMU: In order to augment the awareness related to Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs), Head of the Cardiology Department GMC, Jammu, Dr. Sushil Sharma on Sunday held day long camp in association with CHILDLINE, Nodal, University of Jammu at the Home for Aged in Akhnoor.
Accompanied by Dr. Arvind Jasrotia (HOD-Law/ Director, Childline) and a team of young doctors, paramedics and volunteers, Dr. Sushil Sharma reached the Home for Aged in the morning and started scanning inmates of the old age home and adjoining areas for prevalence of cardiac diseases. More than 300 people were screened, evaluated, investigated and free medicines were given as per the requirements.
Sushil said,” There is an alarming rate of prevalence of CVDs in India. In fact, the prevalence in India is higher than other countries of the same region. Keeping in mind the huge population of India, a prevalence rate of 11 per cent is a disturbing figure, even though in a specific region in India, when translated into numbers. The escalation in the prevalence rates have been observed since the last decade and are expected to continue with the same pattern if the current situation prevails. These rates indicate newer patterns of the disease incidence. Previously thought to affect only high income countries, CVD burden is now being transferred to the developing countries as evident by it is presence in India. Moreover, these rates seem to be increasing disproportionately as compared to other countries.”
He stressed that CVD is catching up in lower income groups also, in spite of the difference in the lifestyle, culture etc. indicating the urgency of addressing the associated risk factors hypertension, tobacco use, diabetes, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, cholesterol/lipids and obesity.
The high prevalence in rural areas in comparison with urban areas indicates that as the disease matures and gets a stronger grip in the country, it will percolate to all categories of the population affecting the whole society. This can be confirmed as recent studies in India show that individuals with lower levels of income or education are at a higher risk suggesting that the prevalence is following the pattern seen with advanced epidemics in developed countries- the highest prevalence is shifting from the affluent to the less affluent .
Members of the Sewa Samiti Rajinder Kumar, Ravinder Khajuria, Parveen Gupta, Romy Gupta and Dimple Sharma appreciated the efforts of Dr Sushil and his team for holding a camp and hope that such camp will be conducted in future.
Led by Dr Sushil, the team of doctors which were part of this humane effort included Dr. Mohi Kalsotra, Dr. Dhaneshwar Kapoor, Dr. Anitipal Singh and Dr Gurpreet Kour. Paramedics and volunteers who were part of the team included Kashmiri Lal, Kamal Kishore, Sanjay Sharma, Aman Gupta, Vikas Kumar, Rajeev Vohra, Rohit Khajuria (Coordinator Childline) and Deepika Badyal, Sonam Prashar, Shivani Chib and Nitan Sharma (Research scholars, Law Department).