By Hassan Zaggi
Two Nigerian students have bagged medals during the world Heart Day International Painting Competition organised by an Indian-based hospital- Manipal Hospitals.
As a pioneer in healthcare, Manipal Hospitals is India’s second-largest multi-specialty healthcare providing treating over 4 million patients annually.
The competition was organised to raise awareness on the causes and preventive measures to the increasing cases of Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) globally.
The two students from Nigeria who won the medals include Khadija Umar Aliyu of Royal step Academy and Umar Aliyu from Adam Al- hikmah Abubakar Academy .
The awards were given during an International Heart Wellness Program held through a webinar organised by the Manipal Hospitals.
The International Heart Wellness Program also provided a platform to train nurses on advanced cardiac knowledge and build a public forum on how the general public can keep their hearts healthy.
Reiterating the importance of training the medical personnel on cardiac care, the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Manipal Hospitals, Karthik Rajagopal, said: “We understand the challenges in the healthcare system when it comes to cardiac care. Therefore, it is very important to train the nurses to handle any situation of emergency.
“As patients suffering from a heart attack or heart failure require immediate intervention, training our nurses will allow a more robust approach to the stresses and strains they may face in that situation.
“The program covered the most up-to-date trends, best practices, and innovations in the medical field to not only address the challenges when it comes to heart health but also be prepared for any situation of emergency.”
On their part, while highlighting the importance of giving close attention to the rising cases of cardiovascular diseases, a team of heart doctors form India including Dr. Yugal Kishore Mishra , Dr. Ranjan Shetty and Dr. Bipin Kumar Dubey, revealed that: “Stress, lack of sleep, absence of physical activity, sitting for long periods, workload and poor eating habits are serious problems that puts extra pressure on the heart.
“Most people tend to ignore the early signs that are the potential symptoms of a cardiovascular ailment. It is important to understand that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are progressive conditions that get worse in the future if left unattended.
“With the help of this program, we aim to spread more awareness about this fatal disease. As lifestyle plays a direct role in determining the condition of the heart, we aim to educate more and more people on the importance of a healthy lifestyle.”
Speaking , H.E Mr. Anindya Banerjee, High Commission of India, Cameroon and H.E Mr. A. Ajay Kumar High Commission of India, Kampala Uganda, explained that, “heart disease is the world’s leading cause of death, claiming 17.3 million lives each year, and the numbers are rising.
“As the prevalence of this disease is rising, the mortality rate due to CVD is also rising and is now seen even among the younger generation.”
Other winners of the international competition includes students from Kenya, Ghana and Cameroon.
