Bengaluru: Health, The Greatest Wealth Of A Nation, Says Manipal Hospitals Chairman

Fast news service

The unprecedented and devastating COVID pandemic has taught us many lessons. This proves that the proverb says: "Health is our greatest wealth" and "A country is only as strong as its healthcare". Fortunately for us, the citizens and the government realized this and took many measures to make our nation healthy.

I want to back up another saying: "An ounce of prevention is better than a ton of cure." This cannot be overemphasized. As a developing country we suffer from both communicable (infectious) and non-communicable (lifestyle) diseases and the combination of the two is a heavy burden on society. Again, this is best addressed in general, preventive, primary and promotion health.

It is very alarming that even today one of the leading causes of death for children under five is diarrheal diseases, other diseases and malnutrition.

It is clear that strong health care with attention to sanitation, clean drinking water, nutrition, immunization and vector control measures (mosquito repellents and other pest control measures, and clean waste disposal) can save millions of lives at a very low cost. cure these diseases.

Fortunately, the government has taken many measures to improve sanitation, clean water, mass vaccination, tuberculosis eradication and infant feeding measures to eliminate this menace.

It is unfortunate that lifestyle-related diseases that are now under our individual control cause more deaths than infectious diseases. Our country now suffers from a very heavy burden of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, obesity, cancer and other non-communicable diseases, and unfortunately we do not have a very heavy burden of these diseases, but many of them strike us soon westerners. In these cases, only prevention is the key to dealing with the serious consequences of this disease.

Lifestyle issues have become an issue in our society and as a senior physician I have advice on the health of our society as a whole. The pandemic is definitely making things worse because we are not focusing enough on our diet and exercise, and it will definitely worsen the obesity, diabetes and hypertension diseases that are already occurring.

The simple advice I have for keeping our children healthy is to pay attention to the following in your life. It is important that these lifestyle interventions occur at an early age. Sugar and calories in the form of carbohydrates are the bane of our society and are the root cause of many diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Sugar is today's new tobacco.

Smoking and tobacco in any form are toxic and should be avoided at all costs. Excessive salt intake can lead to hypertension and other related diseases. A sedentary lifestyle should be avoided. Don't be lazy, play sports and be active. A regular night's sleep is important for a healthy life.

Stress, and especially suffering, is harmful to health. Seek help from friends, teachers, parents and other counselors when you find yourself in a stressful situation that you cannot handle. Grief or depression and mental health issues are often not recognized and treated, and this is something we all need to recognize and address before it becomes a serious problem. Get help if you have a mental health problem, and don't let fear of stigma hold you back.

Of course, alcohol is off limits to young adults because of the potential toxic effects and risk of addiction. Sex education is an important tool in the human curriculum and should be emphasized in both schools and colleges for the development of overall physical and sexual health. Social skills and interaction is another important aspect of our overall development that has been greatly influenced by the excessive use of social media, phones, computers, video games, etc. and it is time we regulate this right for a healthier society.

Drug abuse is still a threat that needs to be addressed today. We must do everything possible to eradicate drugs from society, not only through punishment, but also through awareness, counseling and rehabilitation.

Preserving the health of ourselves, the community and the nation is a priority for us. Strong communities, primary care and prevention systems, awareness of lifestyle-related diseases and appropriate lifestyle changes will go a long way in helping us stay healthy. As we enter the new year, let us carry this message with us: A healthy nation is a strong and happy nation. Let all our work achieve this goal.

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