World Health Day was celebrated in Hyderabad on Monday with the launch of several healthcare programmes and the holding of free medical camps in several hospitals. While the Children's Cardiac Hospital of Apollo, which was inaugurated on Sunday by Governor Surjit Singh Basrnala, started functioning on Monday, speakers at several programmes called for better and affordable medicare for children. The WHO theme for this year was " Healthy Environment for Children."
Founder president of the Thakur Hari Prasad Institute of Research and Rehabilitation for the Mentally Handicapped, Dr Thakur V Hari Prasad, called for a multi-disciplinary approach to design medical services in order to minimise infant mortality rate. He was speaking as chief guest at a public health symposium on 'shielding our children from accidents', organised by the Instituite of Health Systems (IHS). Medical services should be accessible and affordable to the common man for the protection of children from various diseases and accidents, he said.
A host of speakers from the fields of medicine, traffic and education discussed issues like burns, accidental falls, road safety and other aspects with respect to children.
Describing children as human capital, Dr Hari Prasad said the age group of 0-5 was very crucial for children as they were highly vulnerable to various diseases during that period.
D T Nayak, Additional Commissioner of Police, spoke on the traffic problems that were tormenting school children. He said the traffic police were devising various methods for the safety of children on the roads in school zones.
IHS chairman Dr P Hrishikesh presided over the function which was also addressed by IHO Director Dr Prasantha Mahapatra.
At another function organised by the Osmania Medical College Doctors' Forum, Ch Shailaja Kiron, Managing Director of Margadarsi Chit Funds, stressed the need for inter-sectoral effort to create a healthy environment for the growth of the child. She wanted adoption of an innovative approach with total commitment to reach the target. " Our development plans should take environment into account with child at its centre," she said.
About five million people were dying every year on account of diseases caused by environmental hazards, and many of them were in South Asian countries. She said various organisations must work together to curb environmental pollution since the worst affected were children.
Osmania Medical College principal Dr Kadambari urged the people to pave the way for a bright future for the children and the nation. Later there was a panel discussion on this years theme, Healty Environment for Children.
Dr K R Anthony, Project Officer (Health) UNICEF, observed that the growth rate of asthma among children had gone up to19 % from 5% five years ago. Provision of safe drinking water and regular immunisation were most essential for the healthy growth of children, he said.
President of Osmania Medical College Doctors' Forum Dr K Suresh said that all measures must be taken to provide a healthy environment in all three aspects, viz physical condition, micro-environment (home) and macro environment, which included pollution effects, hygiene and so on.
Kavita D Chitturi, Executive Director of KCP Ltd, said that prenatal care was essential to avoid increasing number of cases of food poisoning and diarrhoea among children.
A team of doctors from Image Hospitals distributed toys brain games and puzzles to the mentally challenged children at the Special Education Centre for the Mentally Handicapped, Institute of Genetics, Ameerpet, to mark the World Health Day. Dr Jaya Rao, Medical Superintendent, Dr Somnath, Head of General Medicine, and paramedical staff from Image Hospitals, Prof. P P Reddy, Director, Institute of Genetics, and Dr P Usha Rani, coordinator of the Special Education Centre, were present on the occasion.
Dr Ramesh Babu, Chief Cardiologist, Medwin Hospital, at a function on the World Health Day, said over five million children died every year in the world due to environmental hazards. About two million children under five years died every year due to respiratory infections. The infections were aggravated by environmental hazards, including indoor air pollution, he said.
Dr Vijaya Bhaskar, pulmonologist of the hospital, said children suffered from eye irritation, throat discomfort headaches, dizziness, nausea and abdominal pain due to pollution. They tend to develop frequent colds, intermittent cough and skin alter, he said, adding that the hospitals had a moral responsibility to take up such issues and promote awareness among the people.
The hospital staff performed a skit on environmental hazards. The skit will be staged at one school every month, according to Dr Ramesh Babu.
State Chief Secretary Mohan Kanda inaugurated a health camp jointly organized by the Indian Medical Association , Andhra Pradesh Secretariat Employees Association and Prathyusha Charitable Trust to mark the World Health Day. Kanda inaugurated a cardiology camp on the Secretariat premises. Speaking on the occasion, he said the government would extend total support to the organisations engaged in implementing social and healthcare programmes.
Osmania General Hospital opened a Neuro Intensive Care unit, which has facilities to identify brain death cases and improve the cadaver transplantation system, according to hospital superintendent Dr T Laxminarayana. The new unit with two beds would be managed by the neuro surgery and anesthesia departments. In case of brain deaths, the organs like liver, kidneys, pancreas and corneas would be taken for transplantation with the consent of the family. Mohan Foundation, a voluntary organization, had come forward to organise a campaign for promotion of organ transplantation. The hospital management would maintain a list of donors. There was a proposal to set up an information centre at NIMS for cadaver transplantation.