Before becoming developed nation, health for all must: MP & Cardiologist Manjunath

Mysuru: MP and Cardiologist Dr C N Manjunath said, by 2047, India would surely become a developed nation and the world’s third largest economy by 2030, as per the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but our biggest challenge would be to ensure health for all by 2037.

Delivering the keynote address, during the inaugural session of Samyojanam, a two-day national symposium on Metabolic Disorders, organised by Vishwa Ayurveda Parishad (VAP), in collaboration with Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) and Bengaluru-based Sushrutha Ayurvedic Medical College and Hospital, at KSOU Convocation Hall, on Mukthagangothri campus, in Mysuru, on Friday, Dr Manjunath said, ensuring clean air, water and food will be the key to good health.

Dr Manjunath said, “Some issues may seem simple, but they are grave in nature. For example, polluted air is the new tobacco. Breathing polluted air is equal to the hazardous ‘passive smoking’. Passive smoking causes numerous health problems. In an effort to reduce air pollution, caused due to various factors including thermal power generation, the Central government has earmarked Rs 26,000 crore to encourage installation of roof-top solar power panels, for clean energy generation. Electric vehicles are also given a push, with incentives”.

“The non-medicine medicines or nature doctors are: sunlight, diet, rest, fasting, good sleep, fruits and vegetables, gratitude, talking to each other, meditation, Yoga and Ayurveda. Thus, Ayurveda, Yoga, meditation and fasting from our own culture play a vital role in wellness. Any branch of wellness – allopathy, homeopathy, or naturopathy – is good, if the healer or doctor has some sympathy for the patient. We often crib, saying that times have changed for the worst. But, what has actually changed is the people, their attitude, food habits, and ambitions, impacting health badly,” Dr Manjunath said.

He said, life is good when wealth is simple, anger is silent and attitude is polite. “There is an explosion in technologies and also new diseases, over the years, as we are aggressively attacking nature. The percentage of deaths due to lifestyle diseases has increased to 60% in India of late. Besides heart-related ailments, diabetes, blood pressure, stress and cancer, there are new diseases like screen addiction and loneliness. Earlier, children used to take their parents to consult doctors, on such ailments. Now it is vice-versa, as lifestyle diseases are affecting youngsters badly,” Dr Manjunath said.

Suttur Mutt seer Shivaratri Deshikendra Swami, former High Court judge B A Patil, Dr Yogesh Chandra Mishra, Dr N K Manjunath Sharma, KSOU Vice-Chancellor Sharanappa V Halse, Dr B R Ramakrishna, S K Naveen Kumar, Dr Gajanana Hegde, M Ramanatham Naidu and D Srihari were present.