Bengaluru: As the number of Covid-19 cases keeps fluctuating, experts have asked people to focus on controlling non-communicable and lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart ailments, etc.
Dr Ambrish Mithal, chairman, endocrinology and diabetes, Max Healthcare, said individuals must watch out for red flags like non-communicable diseases, bad lifestyle etc. “If the baseline of the population is healthier, the impact of any raging pandemic will have less impact,” he said.
Dr Mithal was speaking at a panel discussion on ‘Fitness and Health Policy Challenges Post Pandemic’, organised by the Kautilya School of Public Policy recently.
Experts in the panel said almost 35% to 45% of the population in the country has diabetes at the age of 60, which magnified the effect of the pandemic. Dr Mithal advised individuals to avoid ‘popping a million pills’ and instead, focus on a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, sleeping well, etc, which he said is the foundation of good health. “At a national level, there is a need for a shift in policy towards health and wellness centres. It involves individual participation and avoiding misinformation,” he said.
Dr Nalini Saligram, founder & CEO, Arogya World, said their focus has also been on prevention of non-communicable diseases with healthy living. “Eating right, exercising and avoiding tobacco will work well,” she said, adding the most important aspect of post-Covid recovery on an individual and national level is healthy living.
The panel also warned against the extreme approach to fitness, especially after an individual has recovered from Covid.
Ramji Srinivasan, founder-director-Sports Dynamix HPC; former strength and conditioning coach — Indian Cricket Team (2009-2013), said one can return to mild workouts 10 days after recovering from Covid-19. He, however, cautioned that every individual reacts differently to the infection and must consult his/her doctor before restarting their fitness journey.
“One can set micro-goals for every day, and monitor their heart rate constantly. Nutrition and good sleep are very important,” he said, pointing out that sleep is highly undervalued in the recovery and wellness of an individual.
“It has become a fashion to boast that one only sleeps for two to three hours a night. It is wrong. One needs to relax, bring happy hormones to the fore for their mental and physical wellbeing,” he said, adding that one must avoid following tips and protocols from social media.
Dr Mithal also said it is the right time to harness the advantages of telemedicine and tele-consultation. “If someone is being treated for chronic diseases, they can tele-consult with their doctors and visit them whenever necessary,” he said, adding there is a need for simple platforms that can be used by people even in remote parts of the country. He also said standard practices must be developed around it, including the legalities around teleconsultations.
The experts in the panel also called for policy development to bring in more teachers in the medical education field, along with other medical professionals like nurses, support staff etc.
from WordPress https://ift.tt/uUXqDbt
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment