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Kauvery Hospital rolls out Free Heart Check Service

P. K Sekar Babu Hon’ble Minister of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department Tamil Nadu inaugurated the campaign for World Heart Day

• The campaign will help identify cardiac risk among younger population
• Globally sudden cardiac deaths accounts to 15- 20%, and among this 1 to 2% are below 35 years.

Chennai, 29^th September: To observe World Heart Day Kauvery Hospital, one of the leading healthcare chains in Tamil Nadu launched free health camps. The campaign which will reach out to more younger population (below 50 years), aims to identify cardiac risks and abnormalities thereby encouraging people to lead a healthy life. The initiative was launched by Thiru P K Sekar Babu, Minister of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department and Dr Ezhilan Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu.

Sudden cardiac deaths accounts to 15-20% globally, and among this 1 to 2%  are below 35 years. One of the main causes for sudden cardiac death is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (thickening of heart muscles). This condition can be due to genetic factors and in most cases goes unnoticed as the symptoms are very mild. The second major reason is coronary heart disease ( plaque buildup in wall of arteries), and the risk factors for this condition is lifestyle patterns such as smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet, lack of physical activity etc.

Speaking on the campaign Thiru P K Sekar Babu, Minister of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of Tamil Nadu, said “This day is to remind every individual on the importance to maintain a healthy heart by following the right lifestyle pattern and accessing timely healthcare. Even today, majority of population do not know how to handle sudden cardiac attacks and when to see a doctor. Timely diagnosis and intervention plays a key role in saving lives, but all this can be achieved through constant awareness. I congratulate Kauvery Hospital for starting this campaign which will help create awareness among the public thereby enabling them to gain quality healthcare.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen lot of sudden cardiac deaths among younger population, reason being – late diagnosis and poor management of health. “Many patients with heart disease did not do their regular checkups fearing the risk of infection. Hence, we are encouraging people especially the younger population to make use of the digital medium to access timely healthcare and keep a tab on their overall health. This year, the theme for World Heart Day is “Use heart to connect”, i.e connect with your community, create awareness on heart health. There are a lot of apps that track heart rates and ECG and with the availability of internet in major parts of the world, one can utilize the technology. In rural areas, volunteers or healthcare workers can be trained to use smartphones or technology to help people in that region gain access to digital healthcare,” says Dr Ananthraman, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Kauvery Hospital Chennai.

The camp which will be organized across other districts of Tamil Nadu will have tests such as ECG, ECHO, Blood pressure, BMI. “The ECG reports will be digitized and can be retrieved anytime with the patient ID. The doctors would recommend tests or treatments accordingly,” adds Dr Ananthraman.

Sharing his thoughts Dr Ezhilan, MLA says, “The state’s healthcare infrastructure has grown enormously over the years, and it is very encouraging to see hospitals come up with such initiatives. Making use of the right infrastructure and resources is key to build a healthy community”.

Speaking on the launch, Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Kauvery Hospital Chennai says, “A healthy heart is a key to healthy lifestyle and vice versa. Heart diseases can be prevented, but unfortunately prevention is at stake. With less or no work life balance, a lot of youngsters are falling prey to stress, anxiety & depression which eventually leads to sudden heart attacks. In some cases, the symptoms go unnoticed and it gets too late to cure. Health camps such as ours will educate communities, and ultimately save lives. Hence, this heart day let us all together make a promise to keep our heart healthy by living a healthy lifestyle and seek medical intervention when needed.”