Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 14: Union Minister of State in PMO with independent charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh who is also a renowned Diabetologist today said that Diabetes at young age poses a greater challenge for the affected person as well as his family because that is the most formative and productive phase of his life.
Inaugurating the Health Mela here organized by, “Healthy Ageing India”, a New Delhi based NGO, in collaboration with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi and Shakti Kendra Jammu, Dr Jitendra Singh, who was the chief guest on the occasion said that future health focus in India will essentially be on Diabetes in Young but simultaneously also on elderly for the simple reason that while in the years to come, around 70 per cent of country’s population will be below the age of 35 years, on the other hand, the population of the elderly age group is also on the rise partly because of increase in lifespan and partly because of improved health status in later decades of life.
The Health Mela was organized in connection with “World Diabetes Day” being observed today.
He said, while on the one hand, the nation will have to ensure that India’s vast youth potential remains unaffected by adverse effects of Diabetes and other metabolic diseases, on the other hand, the care of the aging and elders will be both our moral as well as social responsibility.
The unique feature of the event was the launch of an exclusive new initiative for elderly healthcare.
Speaker, Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly and MLA Gandhi Nagar, Kavinder Gupta presided over the function.
Dr Jitendra Singh said an optimum level of diabetes education, self-discipline, healthy lifestyle and freedom from stress can in fact enable the diabetic individual to live a better and even more productive life than his non-diabetic peers.
Complementing Healthy Ageing India and Shakti Kendra for a new initiative for the elderly health care incorporating preventions and immunizations, Dr Jitendra Singh said, there are certain dictums of lifestyle which can be equally beneficial to both the young and the old. These, for example, include regular walk, practice of yoga, timely eating habits and avoidance of stress.
Kavinder Gupta, while speaking on the occasion, congratulated the organisers for holding this event in Jammu. He assured full cooperation and help from his side for organising such events in future also.
Kavinder Gupta noted that, of late, people in all age-groups are becoming more and more health conscious. But they need proper guidance about healthcare for which the role of NGOs and social organisations is important.
Yash Puri a member of civil Society and veteran social activist, Arvind Gupta, Bharat Sharma and Devender Singh Wazir were among the organizers of the Mela.
Ashok Kaul, general secretary BJP Organisation, Ashok Khajuria, senior leader BJP, Harshvardhan, Head of ‘Healthy Ageing India’, Dr Prasun Chatterjee, who headed the doctors team from AIIMS also spoke on the occasion.
Harshvardhan said that they had approached Dr Jitendra Singh for holding such a Mela in any North-East State, which was approved by the Minister and the same was held in Jammu. He appreciated the role of Dr Jitendra in taking initiatives to make India healthy.
Dr Chatterjee while speaking on the occasion gave valuable suggestions as to how to keep Diabetes away from the society.
Ashok Kaul, while speaking on the occasion appreciated Dr Jitendra’s research work with regard to awareness about Diabetes and allied diseases.
On the occasion, there was facility for free blood test, free consultation, free medicines and educative workshop sessions which were attended by a large number of people.
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