Manpreet Singh Ayali inaugurated Rural Health Awareness Program at SPS Apollo Hospitals.

Sardar Manpreet Singh Ayali, chairman of the zila parishad and the district health monitoring and planning committee today inaugurated a Rural Preventive Health Care Mission at SPS Apollo Hospitals. The Hospital has launched this unique program to create awareness of the benefits of “Preventive Health Checks” among villages .The program which was attended by all the Zila Parishad Members and Block Samiti Members of Ludhiana, started with the address of Mr. Ayali followed by a health awareness talk by Dr R.S. Bhatia, Consultant Neurologist. A telefilm on healthy Living was telecasted. In the end Mr. Ayali distributed health check membership files of hospital to all his officers.

On the occasion, Dr G.L. Avasthi, Director Medical Services, informed that in the next few years, chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cancer and AIDS would account for over 65 percent of deaths in India compared to 53 percent in 2005. He added- "Preventive health, is best described as "warding off disease". It is a process of making small regular decisions and taking positive action on health, diet, exercise and lifestyle. These actions give your body the best chance of remaining free from disease. There are 638,365 villages in India and about 74% of Indian population lives in these villages.  Preventive, as opposed to curative health care can help reduce the burden of the cost of the treatment of preventable diseases. 

Sardar Manpreet Singh Ayali said that Curative healthcare had been the focus of planned efforts for a long time in India. Emphasis on preventive care had been on a lower priority not out of negligence but because of the burden of communicable diseases like TB, Leprosy, Vector Borne diseases, HIV/AIDS etc. and the necessity to build up health infrastructure in the rural areas.  Now Improvement in health status necessitates expanding our energies with equal emphasis on preventive care particularly on the non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and cancer. He appreciated the mission launched by the hospital and said that he is getting all his team  comprising Zila Parishad members and Block Samiti Members and other officers –checked at SPS Apollo Hospitals. These people are in direct touch with Rural Folk and can in turn recommend and educate them.

According to Dr Kapil Chib, Manager Medical Affairs ,the hospital will cover Sarpanches and Panches in the next stage and after implementation in Ludhiana Block , this program will be replicated all over Punjab in Staged manner. He added that any successful healthcare initiative for Villages must be founded on a community-backed platform which is equally supported by a community-wide understanding of health education issues. That is why SPS Apollo Hospital is "developing a social and Educative platform for- tackling preventive health and delivering relevant and affordable services to villagers in Punjab.

Mr. Jugdiep Singh, Managing Director, informed that the hospital is setting up a separate building for Preventive Health Checks with an investment of Rs. 6 Crore with the mission of making basic preventive health care services as an integral part of an equitable, comprehensive health care plan, accessible to all. We as a people need to wake up to the fact that India lives in its villages and if we cannot reach basic healthcare to these people, then no matter how much we progress in the urban and semi-urban areas, our overall growth as a nation will be retarded.  Therefore preventive health activities for Villages should be in the forefront for the benefit of the Nation.