In line with the World Heart Day this September, The Indian Consulate in Dubai, Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services (DCAS) and Zulekha Hospital partnered to further the objectives of two important campaigns – “The Fit India Movement” encouraging people to include physical activity and sports in their daily lives and “Save Hearts”, an initiative that aims to educate individuals on how to be first responders in emergencies and practice a Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to save lives.
At the launch of the Fit India Movement Honorable Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi said, “Lifestyle diseases are on the rise due to lifestyle disorders and we can ensure we don’t get them by being fitness-conscious”.
Over a press conference at the Indian Consulate in Dubai, Consul General of India Shri Vipul highlighted the significance of staying healthy and preventing lifestyle diseases. Speaking of the Fit India Movement’s objectives he said, “While technology enables our daily tasks to ensure increased productivity and greater efficiencies, the human mind and body need to also be powered by exercises and good practices to sustain in the long-run. We aim to create greater awareness on this essential aspect of life through responsible initiatives such as these.”
H.E Khalifa Hassan Aldrai, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services said, “Individuals can run into emergencies at any point of time and we can save lives by being active first responders. Unfortunately, about half of the people who experience cardiac arrests at home don’t get the help they need from bystanders before an ambulance arrives. For this reason, we have been partnering with Zulekha Hospital’s “Save Hearts” program and host regular life-saving CPR awareness sessions across public gatherings. We encourage each of you to take time to learn the life-saving skill that can make a difference.”
Speaking of the trends in cardiovascular diseases, Dr. Anil Bansal, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist from Zulekha Hospital commented, “We see the early onset of cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, stroke and cardiac arrests. No doubt, there are advanced techniques available today to treat cardiac conditions. Even before one progresses to that stage of critical management, one needs to strike a balance and discipline one’s lifestyle. Addressing the nutrition essentials, Ms. Nafeesa Ahmed, Nutrition & Lifestyle Management Director mentions that diabetes could be a major cause of concern that people need to address. The underlying disease could be a forerunner to serious cardio-vascular diseases.
Zulekha Hospital in UAE hosts “Save Hearts” awareness sessions in the interest of the well-being of the UAE residents. The sessions were recently carried out at the Gurunanak Darbar Gurudwara in Dubai, Burhani Mosques in Dubai and Sharjah, Sharjah Civil Defense Services, Sharjah Police Headquarters, and many other corporate and public gatherings.
Managing Director Taher Shams from Zulekha Healthcare Group said, “We extend our sincere gratitude to the Dubai Ambulance team for their support in furthering this noble cause and the India Consulate in Dubai for giving us this platform to raise greater awareness on this essential topic. It is heartening to have educated thousands of residents who have gained knowledge of this life-saving CPR skill. Let’s save hearts and save lives.”
