 Early Times Report
Poonch, Aug 27: In light of the ongoing holy pilgrimage of Buddha Amarnath Ji Yatra in the Peer Panjal ranges, Dr. Sushil Sharma, Head of the Cardiology Department at GMCH Jammu, conducted a day-long cardiac awareness cum health checkup camp in association with the Municipal Council Poonch. The camp was held in loving memory of Sher-e-Poonch Late Shri Yashpal Sharma, who played a significant role in maintaining peace and harmony among all religions in the valley and preserving the cultural and religious heritage of Poonch district. The camp, focused on pilgrims with cardiac issues, was set up at Shri Dashnami Akhara Mandir Poonch.
The camp was inaugurated by Shri Shri 1008 Swami Vishwatamanand Ji Maharaj, accompanied by Sunil Sharma (President MCP), Dr. Sushil Sharma, Vinay Sharma (SSP Poonch), and Sandeep Mehta (JKPS), in the presence of Municipal Councillor Poonch Balwinder Singh, Naresh Kumar, Sanjay Khajuria, and Mohinder Singh, amidst Vedic invocations for universal peace and well-being. More than 1500 individuals availed health checkup services, including ECG, Lipid-profile, and Blood sugar tests. Free medicines were distributed as per medical advice. The primary goal of the camp was to screen and educate people about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, especially a healthy heart, to enable them to undertake the holy pilgrimage in the coming years with robust health.
During interactions with the attendees, Dr. Sushil emphasized that Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) currently account for one in three deaths worldwide, with around 80% of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Lifestyle-related factors such as unhealthy food consumption, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and harmful alcohol consumption significantly contribute to the risk of developing CVDs. Dr. Sushil further explained the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation programs that involve lifestyle modifications, psychological interventions, education, and counseling in enhancing patients’ quality of life and limiting adverse effects associated with cardiac illness.
He highlighted the positive impact of religiousness on self-esteem, positive emotions, and self-care practices, fostering well-being.
However, he also expressed concern that heart diseases in India occur 10 to 15 years earlier than in the West, emphasizing the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle.
Other medical professionals who participated in the camp included Dr. Rahul Sudan (DM Gastro), Dr. Balvinder Singh, Dr. Pallavi Banotra, Dr. Hemanshi Verma, and Dr. Mohd. Azam. Paramedics and volunteers also played a crucial role in making the camp successful, including Farooq Sheikh, Nirvair Singh Bali, Ahmed Raza Khan, Rohan Sharma, and many more. |
