New Delhi, Nov 2, 2020: The Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI), a leading national non-profit organization committed to making India a healthier and disease-free nation, flagged off the 27^th edition of the PERFECT HEALTH MELA (PHM) on 1^st November 2020. This one-of-its-kind event held annually is supported this year by patrons like LIC, and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, Jan Aushadhi Government of India, Drugs Controller Delhi Govt. besides corporate and educational institutions. The Mela has gone digital this year with the theme Safe-Guarding from Covid-19 and is being broadcast live on www.perfecthealthmela.com

The guests of honor for the inaugural session included Indian author and renowned poet Shri Ashok Chakradhar; kathak dancer, choreographer and teacher, Ms Uma Sharma; CEO, Jan Aushadhi, Government of India, Mr Sachin Singh; Regional Manager (Marketing ), LIC of India, North Zone, Mr Kapil Kumar; Scientist , Advisor and Head, NCSTC, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, Dr A B P Mishra; among others.

Speaking at the event, Padma Shri Awardee, Dr K K Aggarwal, President, HCFI and CMAAO, said, “We are in a new normal and it was only evident that the Mela would also follow suit this year. These are times when we need to build our immunity, resilience and knowledge and ensure that we follow the protocols that have been mandated to keep us safe from the pandemic. However, it is also important to not stop and ensure that we work towards improving the current scenario as well. This was one of the thoughts behind going digital with the Perfect Health Mela this year and everyone can look forward to various new elements we have added as well.”

Day one and two featured an insightful Health Darbar with Dr K K Aggarwal and went on to showcase science activity corners by Dept. of Science & Technology deputed scientists from various parts of the country on various subjects of general public interest like explaining science behind miracles, detection of food adulteration, fun with science, rocketry making, electronic etc. , among other things. The inaugural day also saw the launch of the HCFI Renu Bamalwa Charitable OPD in memory of late Renu Bamalwa. The free OPD will be held from Tuesday to Saturday every week from 3 pm to 5 pm and is aimed at helping people deal with various illnesses during the pandemic times.

Adding further, Shri Ashok Chakradhar, said, “I congratulate the HCFI for having gone online with the Perfect Health Mela this year. An event like this is the need of the hour when it comes to dispelling myths around COVID-19, sending out the right information to people, among other things. This is also the only event of its kind which uses infotainment, and the Arts to convey messages in a very simple yet impact ful manner.”

Dr A B P Mishra Scientist NCSTC Division of Department of Science and Technology, GOI, said, “Science and Arts go hand in hand. On the one hand, there is logic and explanation to everything, on the other, there are also some things which require expression. Perfect Health Mela combines these two in the most interesting manner to educate people on health and the importance of a healthy mind and body. During this pandemic, I urge everyone to attend this event, which is a monumental effort from the HCFI since the last many years to spread awareness.”

Started in 1993, the Perfect Health Mela caters to people from all age groups and all walks of life. It showcases activities across categories such as health education seminars, check-ups, entertainment programmes, lifestyle exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and competitions. Over 200 organizations attend the event each year including state and central government entities, PSUs, and leading corporate.

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• To be held from 1st to 8^th November 2020, the digital event will centre around safe-guarding from COVID-19 and living in a post-pandemic world.
• The e-event will also have competitions for schools and colleges with themes around COVID-19.

New Delhi, October 26, 2020: The Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI), a leading national non-profit organization committed to making India a healthier and disease-free nation, is organizing the 27^th Perfect Health Mela (PHM) from 1^st to 8^th November 2020. This one-of-its-kind event held every year with support from other patrons to generate all-around awareness on health is going digital this year in view of the pandemic. The theme for this year is Safe-Guarding from Covid-19.

The event can be accessed live on the website https://perfecthealthmela.com/vevent2/  and on Facebook and YouTube https://www.facebook.com/drkkaggarwal, https://www.youtube.com/c/KKAggarwal) Visitors can look forward to various e-events during the course of the Mela. These include interschool and college competitions such as Medico Masti, Harmony, Eco-Fest, Heritage and Divya Jyoti; a daily ‘Patient Health Darbar’ with a focus on COVID-19 amongst others.

The event can be attended by anyone in any part of the world, making this the first time that a Mela of this scale is being organized online. The themes for the competitions range from new normal, safeguarding from COVID-19, taking care of the elderly, and hygiene to tackling COVID stress and depression.

Speaking about this, Padma Shri Awardee, Dr K K Aggarwal, President, HCFI and CMAAO, said, “We are proud to present our annual health awareness and infotainment event, the Perfect Health Mela, in a digital avatar this year. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a new normal and the need of the hour is to carry on with our activities around it while following all hygiene protocols. The HCFI has always endeavoured to direct all its initiatives at educating the masses and raising awareness on pertinent health-related aspects. This is a phase of virtual living for all of us and we are using infotainment as a way to address concerns and queries around Covid-19. We will also talk about how the society can prepare to tackle such challenges in the future. Our theme this year is ‘Safe-guarding from COVID-19 and our aim is to reach out as many people as possible.”

Apart from the plethora of competitions and events, there will also be insightful Medtalks sessions with Padma Shri Awardee, Dr K K Aggarwal. Not only can attendees get information on the pandemic and various aspects, but also clarify their doubts Started in 1993, the Perfect Health Mela caters to people from all age groups and all walks of life. It showcases activities across categories such as health education seminars, check-ups, entertainment programmes, lifestyle exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and competitions. Several leading organizations are expected to attend the event including state and central government entities, PSUs, and leading corporate.

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As the COVID-19 pandemic holds the world firmly in its grip, health as a subject has gained unprecedented attention from all quarters, so much so that it has taken over the conversation everywhere across mediums especially digital and social media platforms. While at one end the social media has been a very potent medium for sharing and consuming important information related to health, but on the other side it has also led to an explosion of fake information, wrong data and at times prescriptive solutions across platforms.

With the internet penetration going up in the country and the sheer number of users using these platforms for communicating and sharing information with each other shooting through the roof, these social media platforms have turned into breeding grounds for preposterous, exaggerated and often dangerous ’fake health tips and news’. To put an end to this menace, a platform called Health Patrol India has been launched under the able guidance of renowned cardiologist and Padma Shri awardee Dr. K.K. Aggarwal.

Dr. K.K. Aggarwal, who is also the President of Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Ex-National President of Indian Medical Association has put together a team consisting of experienced doctors from a multitude of medical specialisations like Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Infectious Diseases, Diabetes and Endocrinology, and subject matter experts who’ll be providing the necessary knowledge and expertise required to research and investigate the authenticity of any piece of health news in circulation.

All one needs to do to check for the truthfulness of any such news is to share the URL or any attachment received with the Health Patrol helpline number +91 74280 98883 via WhatsApp or through the social media pages and website of Health Patrol. And the team would revert post validation within a few days of receiving the request. The validated information will not only be shared with the sender but posted online as well for the benefit of the people at large.

The vision is to make this platform the authority on genuine health news that people can trust and put an end to fake news. Similar to fake news, fake health information also spreads extremely quickly. Hence, there is a need to establish a single source that can empower people with the correct information which will also be an end to all the ill-information by Dr. Google.

On this initiative, Padma Shri Awardee Dr. K.K Aggarwal,President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) & Confideration of Medical Associations of Asia and Oceania (CMAAO),said, “As someone who has worked extensively in the health industry, this initiative is close to my heart as it aims to empower people with the right information in order to save them from falling prey to malicious health tips and recommendations. Which is a critical step in enabling a better healthcare system in the country for the future. However, for it to thrive and be successful I would urge everyone to use this platform as much as possible so that more and more fact checking of health news can happen.”

Health Patrol would be the go-to ally for people to verify a piece of news or social media forward related to health. The role of such a platform would be to bust fake health news being circulated by checking the veracity of it through research and releasing the verified news in the public domain.

This covers misinformation and hoaxes that go viral, and can often lead to unwelcome consequences. The unabashed dissemination of these materials and their sheer volume have created what can be called as an equally dangerous epidemic.  From the mildly ridiculous like garlic and vinegar, to the potentially fatal chloroform and methanol, claims of COVID cures have been circulated with enthusiasm that do more harm than good.

For more information please visit http://www.healthpatrol.in

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Amidst the rising number of Covid-19 cases in India, there is a lot of fear and apprehension among people about the infection. The need of the hour is to stay positive. Even while checking a person for symptoms, it is important to look for the positive aspects such as sense of taste and smell, rather than only temperature. Kids should also be given the right information and not made to panic about the disease.

No need to panic, stays in the body for only nine days:

COVID-19 stays in the body for only nine days. By the time, one gets diagnosed with COVID; it’s the seventh day and, one needs to struggle for some days to remove it from the body. The recovery rate of people with the infection in India is high and even the direct fatality rate is low. The key is to remember that even in patients with co-morbidities, precaution and prevention must be the norm.

There are two phases of COVID-19 and it manifests in the temporary form (for the first 9 days) and persistent form (which takes about 3-4 weeks).

1. The first form is called the viral phase in which the infection can lead to loss of sense of smell and taste, pain in the ear, diarrhea, pneumonia, cough, fever, etc. After 9 days, the virus enters the non-replicative state and the damage can take about 3-4 months to recover.

2. In the second phase, it can cause diarrhea, gastritis, esophagitis, pharyngitis, and pneumonia or even recurrent loss of smell and taste which usually disappears in four weeks.

Maintain respiratory and hand hygiene:

It is very important to maintain respiratory hygiene. Do not cough on your hands or handkerchief. Either use a tissue paper or cough on your sleeve. Whoever has fever, cough and cold should maintain a distance of 1 metre or 3 feet from others. Hand hygiene is also a must. Moreover, if you are rubbing your eyes continuously, you may be suffering from computer vision syndrome, so use eye drops. If you are picking your nose again and again, you have an allergy and you must get yourself treated for it. Last but not the least, isolation does not mean jail but rather social distance of 3 feet, wearing a mask.

Some tips from HCFI

1. It is important to remember that if there is no fever or flu then it is not corona. If there is no breathlessness, then there is no oxygen requirement.

2. It is better to do a corona namaste or elbow touch rather than shaking hands.

3. Maintain social distance 1 meter from a person with cough and cold; wash hands (Remember the mnemonic SUMAN K – seedha ulta mutthi anghuta nakhun kalai) with soap and water or 70% alcohol sanitizer, disinfect surfaces, use surgical masks, if infected (symptoms

4. If you have fever with dry cough with or without breathlessness self- isolate (quarantine yourself at home), wear surgical mask, do frequent hand wash and call your doctor.

Padma Shri Awardee, Dr K K Aggarwal
President, HCFI and CMAAO, New Delhi

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New Delhi: COVID-19 stays in the body for 9 days and, prevention is the answer. While everyone is taking precautions we need to question ourselves “So what” said Dr. K. K. Aggarwal, Former President, Indian Medical Association in the 10th Meeting of managing committee (MCM) of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Dr. K. K. Aggarwal while deliberating about the various facts related to COVID-19, said that we need to understand the word “So what” which will help to come out from the fear of this virus. COVID-19 stays in the body for only 9 days. By the time, one gets diagnosed with COVID; it’s the 7th day and, one needs to struggle for some days to remove it from the body. After 9 days, one is in the post-COVID phase of life. It doesn’t get transmitted between children to children and, if any child has COVID, after 3-4 days the symptoms disappear.

Our death mortality rate is less than the active cases:

Dr. K. K. Aggarwal mentioned that our death mortality rate is less than the active cases. People are having deaths as they get tested late or, they miss the symptom of pneumonia that happens between the 3rd-5th day that causes seriousness. So, timely diagnoses are essential for COVID. He further informed that people with loss of taste or smell, stomach aches, eye infection, fever, and other minor diseases are prone to mild COVID that can be cured with medications. He said that we don’t need to get scared in moving outside but, we need to wear masks, maintain social distancing, and sit in different directions.

We need to have proper ventilation in the rooms and washrooms in our offices. An Air purifier with 10 exchanges per hour and a microfilter can help in preventing COVID-19 transmission. For the organization, Dr. K. K. Aggarwal recommended doing pool testing that will easily help to diagnose if a person among the group of people has COVID-19. This has been performed by various countries around the world. For public dealing, it’s essential to wear an N-95 mask, sanitize one properly; and don’t have an eye to eye contact.

Dr. K. K. Aggarwal said that people who are old, they shouldn’t do face-to-face meetings. They should take their medications for BP and other medicines and use blood thinners, as prescribed by their physicians. He suggested simple exercises for strengthening lungs that include blowing balloons, blowing bubbles in water via a straw, and many more. One should maintain a high protein diet by eating all 7 colored vegetables.

Dr. D K Aggarwal, President, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in his presidential address graced the presence of Dr. K. K. Aggarwal and lauded his contribution towards India’s medical sciences. He further deliberated about the fear of COVID-19 in the lives of people and the lack of knowledge about it. He raised questions regarding the precautions to be taken, how to respond to COVID-19, and remove our fear. He further talked about diligent social work and contributions to the PM CARES Fund by various members towards supporting the government and nation in mitigating COVID-19.

Other senior members who interacted with Dr. K. K. Aggarwal from the senior management were Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal, Senior Vice President, PHD Chamber; Mr. Binay Kumar, Former President, PHD Chamber; Mr. R K Samany Former President, PHD Chamber; Mr. Sandeep Marwah, Managing Committee Member, PHD Chamber; Mr. Lalit Khaitan, Chairman, Economic Affair Committee, PHD Chamber; Mr. Sanjay Bhatia Former President, PHD Chamber; Mr. Gopal Jiwarajka, Former President, PHD Chamber; Mr. Sandeep Marwah, Managing Committee Member, PHD Chamber; Ms. Swati Mittal, Managing Committee Member, PHD Chamber, and others. The session witnessed the presence of other senior leaders and members of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

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Why young Indians are at an increased risk of heart diseases? Increased stress levels increased stress levels in this age group.

People between 24 to 27 years are also being diagnosed with heart problems and a majority of those with these conditions are men. Recent data gathered by Agatsa, India’s most agile health solutions innovator, has revealed that Indians have a higher average resting heart rate of 83 beats per minute as against the desired 72. The results of data from over 70,000 ECGs taken on Agatsa’s SanketLife device has also revealed that the younger population below 40 and 60 years had a higher hear rate than those above 60 indicating increased stress levels in this age group. Another recent study conducted on over 18,000 participants in 35 Indian cities by the Indian Heart Study also reaffirms Agatsa’s findings.[1]

 Studies[2] suggest that every additional increase in the rate of heartbeat is associated with a 1% and 2% higher risk of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease respectively. There is thus a need to create awareness around lifestyle changes and build a strong infrastructural foundation in the healthcare segment that can address the growing problem effectively. Besides addressing the acute shortage of healthcare providers and healthcare centres, India needs to build an effective technological base that can help deliver efficient and affordable healthcare to the remotest of areas.

 Neha Rastogi, Co-Founder and COO-Agatsa, says, “Cardiovascular deaths (CVDs) have emerged as a major public health problem in India, affecting people across all walks of life. Our data indicates that stress among the younger population is emerging as a major cause for heart problems and thus there is a need for immediate lifestyle changes.There is a need to raise awareness on the fact that CVDs can affect people of any age group and technology such as those that help monitor vital statistics can enable timely diagnosis and prevention.”

Adding further, Padma Shri Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India and Confederation of Medical Associations of Asia and Oceania, who was also a part of the study says, “Stress can lead to lowered heart rate variability which signifies a poorly-functioning heart with sympathetic predominance. People in the age group of 30 to 50 are increasingly susceptible to heart problems today given the fast-paced lifestyles and work stress. They also eat unhealthy food, smoke, drink and skip exercise, which are all behaviours linked to heart disease in the long term. There is a need to raise awareness on the impact of these habits and take timely action.”

The pattern of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) also seems to be changing across the Indian landscape with an increased prevalence in Tier 3. While heart diseases have traditionally been thought to affect those in urban settings, SanketLife data reveals a different trend. The statistics gathered show that people as young as 24 years have heart conditions and about 88.5% of those with CVDs are men. About 11% of the SanketLife users are heart patients and 42.1% of the patients also have associated comorbidities like diabetes. What is alarming is the fact that the highest percentage of people in whom CVDs were detected belong to Tier 2 and 3 cities. Only 26.15% people in Tier 1 city were diagnosed with a heart condition. The same signifies unmanaged stress and possible faulty diet with high junk food.

Agatsa’s SanketLife leverages cutting-edge technologies such as Bluetooth, Mobile Apps, Cloud, IoT, and Artificial Intelligence to capture complete medical-grade ECG data on the go. In a short span, Agatsa’s products have recorded ECG readings for over 100,000 users and have been used by more than 6,000 doctors. Going forward, Agatsa is planning to introduce a wearable device offering early detection of 17 different diseases such as diabetes, epilepsy, obesity, anxiety and nephropathy, etc.

[1] Indian Heart Study

[2] https://openheart.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000856

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