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Time for a check-up: A stitch in time
Regular check-ups can ensure that you avoid hospitalization & a fat medical bill
Facing health risks proactively is increasingly important. Indians have entered into the new millennium bearing the double risk of infectious and lifestyle diseases. By 2020, a fourth of our population will suffer from cholesterol-related disorders, an eighth will have diabetes, and a fifteenth a heart condition.
Awareness & Prevention: The risks are real, and it is better to look them in the eye and avert them. The only way to do this is by preventive healthcare. Awareness and prevention can work wonders. It may be of interest to note that Cervical Cancer was the single largest cause of death for American women about ten years ago. It is today almost non-existent. The probability of death by cardiac or respiratory arrest can be drastically reduced through public awareness. In Seattle (U.S.A.), every fifth person can do Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - an emergency procedure that revives the functioning of the heart and lungs. Obviously, the need for such an awareness is greater in India, as the risks are greater.
Recognising risk: We do not take health risks seriously. Check-ups should not wait until symptoms appear. It may be noted that almost half of all patients of hypertension and diabetes show no outward symptoms.
Prevention, not just early detection: Regular check-ups are the only preventive measure. They help avoid complications of the kidney and heart and even cancer. If cancer is detected early, when it is still localized in, say the thyroid, stomach or skin, the cure would be as simple as removing a nodule. Regular screenings ensure that symptoms are treated long before they develop into a serious ailment. Late decision not only means higher expense, but also entails misery and anxiety for the patient's family. Besides good health, regular examinations also bring peace of mind. It is a reassurance for the patient and the family to get a clean chit every year.
Preventive healthcare is about reassurance. It is like getting an annual maintenance certificate, just as one gets for a car - but for a more important asset: "life". The objective: to spare oneself and one's family the anxiety and expense of coping with a breakdown. It is important to remember that preventive healthcare is not a substitute for a healthy lifestyle. In our busy schedule, one of the most important things that we take for granted is health. Health is not merely the absence of disease. An ailment or disease may be lurking, and we may be completely unaware of it. The trend today is not to wait for sickness and disease to strike us and then start treatment, but to try and discover it early, i.e. before it shows itself up and assumes alarming proportions.
Life is a blessing. We need to lead it in the best possible way. We have to be healthy to live a better life. The enjoyment of the highest standards of health is the fundamental right of every human being, irrespective of race, religion, economic and social condition. There are three stages involved while treating a human being: Detection, Treatment and Counselling. K.G. Hospital's Master Health Check-up Department detects the disease/problem before it is too late and guides the person as to how he or she can cure it completely or prevent it from spreading further. We may be ill without knowing that we are ill. Preventive measures are better than cure. To provide a comprehensive analysis of all evaluations, a complete health dossier is handed over to a person who undergoes Master Health Check-up, which shows the current health of the individual with lifestyle recommendations.
Healthcare Access: Many Indians have no ongoing access to a source of primary healthcare, and, therefore, it is essential that they should have access for preventive services. Today we are seeing a decline in rates of strokes and cervical cancer mortality and childhood infectious diseases. This can be largely attributed to the widespread application of three preventive services: high blood pressure detection & control, PAP testing and childhood immunization. Women undergoing mammography has proved to be effective in early detection of breast cancer. Some people do not see doctors owing to the cost involved or they had no regular medical check-up. Such people have landed up with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS, etc.
People who avoided a Doctor because of the cost & people who did not have a Routine Medical Check-Up: Early diagnosis of a health problem and subsequent treatment are critical. In order to achieve these goals, people must have access to primary health care when necessary and have regular medical examinations.
Hypertension Awareness: The major risk factors for cardiovascular disease are high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and cigarette smoking. People with high BP have the risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke.
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