Excelsior Correspondent
![Dr Raj Dave and Dr Sushil Sharma performing coronary interventions in Cardiology Department of GMC Jammu on Friday.](http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/page11-3-300x169.jpg)
JAMMU, Sept 30: Cardiology Department of the Government Medical College and Super-specialty Hospital (GMC&SSH) Jammu today hailed the efforts of Dr Raj Dave, internationally acclaimed interventional cardiologist Dr Dave was here in the city of temples on the request of Dr Sushil Sharma, Head of the Department of Cardiology Department of GMC&SSH.
A special programme was organized today by the Department of Cardiology to create awareness about the menace of consuming drugs and smoking. Hundreds of students drawn from different schools of Jammu city had lined up with balloons and play cards in their hands inscribed with message of ‘Say no to Drugs’ or ‘Say no to Smoking’.
Along with Dr Sushil Sharma, Dr. Gurjit singh, Dr S.K. Bali, Dr. Arvind Kohli, Dr. Noor Ali and S.P. Verma (Gandhi Global Family) released balloons, carrying message of anti-smoking and anti-drugs in the air amidst shouting of slogans against drug addiction by the students of different schools.
Interacting with the students of different schools, Environmental institute and members of civil society present on the occasion, Dr. Sushil stressed that smoking one cigarette a day results in a risk of heart disease that is halfway between that of a smoker and a non-smoker.
“Peripheral Vascular stenosis, lung cancer, heart attacks and chronic obstructive pulmonary are the deadly diseases which can be caused by smoking”, he cautioned and informed that passive smoking is even more hazardous than active smoking.
Dr Sharma stressed upon one and all to shun smoking, the root cause of all maladies. The interaction with the students ended with a solemn pledge to spread the message of the evil effects of drug abuse and smoking to their families and all near and dear ones.
In the later hours of the day, Dr Dave from United State along with Dr Sushil Sharma did complex coronary interventions in all cases successfully in the Cardiology Department. It is important to mention here that Dr Raj Dave is a Course Director in C 3 (Complex cardiovascular catheter Therapeutics) in Florida and has done all kinds of interventions in peripheral areas as well as coronaries. He is a high volume operator and expert in Advanced Endovascular Angiography Procedures.