A survey by ASSOCHAM revealed that Delhi tops the list of ‘heart disease amongst corporate employees’. The survey covered 10 cities, where Delhi led the tally with maximum number of heart ailments. Not only are men at risk, but also women have come across as a vulnerable community for cardiovascular diseases. It was observed that 72 per cent of the corporate employees in Delhi suffer from CVDs, especially those working night shifts due to unhealthy behaviours such as eating junk food, sleeping badly and not exercising.
As a result, Cardiological Society of India (CSI), the apex body in India for cardiology, kick-started its campaign with the aim to reverse trend of heart disease in the capital and also in the other key cities. CSI President Dr Ashok Seth, discussed a larger agenda for change with Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to bring down incidence of heart attacks in the city. The manifesto reiterated the role of health access, right nutrition and stress free lifestyles and included institution of certain policies to create a heart healthy population in the state which comprised:
- Healthy food and curriculum should be mandatory in corporates/ schools
- Reforms in primary healthcare system of the country to include basic cardiac diagnostic and treatment facilities available at district level
- Regulation of transfats in packed food as well as restaurants
- Regulating corporate world to create stress free and heart healthy environment for employees including exercise equipment
- Strict policies on encouraging green spaces and walking grounds in all areas
- State driven micro-insurance to cover the whole population for accessing the treatments
In its response to the startling survey results, the corporate sector also came out strongly against the diseases and supported the campaign.
EH News Bureau