Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 31: Dr Sushil Sharma, Head of the Department of Cardiology, GMC&H, today observed that the turbulence along the border didn’t let the residents breathe sigh of relief and repeated violation of ceasefire further push them to a situation which is full of stress, fear and unpredictable suffering due to border violence.
Dr Sharma made these observations while examining patients in the border village of Suchetgarh-which is situated on the Indo-Pak International Border (IB) in R S Pura sector. This sector always remained in limelight due to cease-fire violations resulting into human and economic losses. The prevailing uncertainty of life is the main cause of prevailing stress among the inhabitants of this border belt.
Maintaining the high values of care and empathy, Dr Sharma conducted a day -long medical camp in the border village of Suchetgarh. More than 350 patients were examined, diagnosed and advised. Free medicines were also distributed as per the requirement.
As stress, hypertension, lipid abnormalities were very high among the patients examined in the camp, Dr. Sushil said that there are thousands of people living along the border of Jammu and Kashmir who are facing the harsh realities of life just being border residents. He also shared that being resident of Poonch (district which shares 62% of the landmine amputees, having 45 fenced-out villages along the LoC), he himself is well acquainted with the pain and suffering faced by the border residents
He elaborated that such stressful life situations contribute to heart diseases and even affect behaviours and factors that increase heart disease risk like high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, smoking, physical inactivity and overeating.
He advised people not to take too much alcohol or smoke cigarettes under the misconception to manage their chronic stress. Instead, he said, these habits can further increase blood pressure and may also damage artery walls. Having too much stress for too long is certainly bad for heart. There is a positive co relation between stress and heart diseases, he added.
Among others who were part of this humane endeavour along with Dr. Sharma include Dr. Dhaneshwar Kapoor, Dr. Mohi Kalsotra and Dr Vijay Singh. Paramedics and volunteers who accompanied include Kamal Kishore, Kashmiri Lal, Rajesh Kumar, Shammi Thapa, Gaurav Sharma, Harvinder Singh, Aman Gupta, Rajkumar and Vikas Kumar.