Date:29/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/29/stories/2007102954660400.htm

New Delhi

Capital hosts health mela

Staff Reporter

Concern expressed over lifestyle diseases

NEW DELHI: The nine-day MTNL Perfect Health Mela was inaugurated by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at Sanjay Lake Park in Laxmi Bai Nagar here on Sunday.

The mela has been organised jointly by MTNL, Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI), the New Delhi Municipal Council and the Delhi Government’s Science and Technology Department.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Dikshit expressed concern over the growing incidence of various diseases and urged the medical community to device an innovative and cost-effective strategy to contain the spread of ailments. She also pointed out that since the therapeutic and curative approach did not eliminate the problem of a disease, primary prevention of ailments should be focused on. This could be achieved only by launching awareness programmes like health melas and fairs.

The Chief Minister also said her Government was emphasising on reducing the prevalence of lifestyle diseases like cardiac ailments and diabetes. One such step was ban on smoking in public places.

Presiding over the function, Health Minister Yogananda Shastri said: “To eradicate a large number of diseases from society, it is necessary to take action both at the individual and social level and an intensive health education programme is indispensable for this purpose.”

HCFI president K. K. Agarwal said this year’s mela would concentrate on modern diseases such as obesity and blood pressure and infectious diseases like dengue and malaria. “The more you eat, the earlier you will leave the planet. Eat less and walk more because too much resting is like rusting,” he advised.

According to Dr. Agarwal, a faulty lifestyle and the stress of modern life were largely responsible for the current spate in lifestyle diseases. He called upon the entire medical fraternity to check on the increasing costs of medical treatment and requested them to keep these costs within the reach of the common man.

The mela is also showcasing a stall of handicrafts set up by the Union Textiles Ministry.