Society for prevention of heart diseases

Bombay: President Zakir Husain, today said prevention of diseases, early detection and adequate treatment are the three pillars of medical treatment to any form of ailment. India being a poor country, prevention of disease should occupy a very important place in our plans for medical aid, he said.

The President was inaugurating India’s first society for prevention of heart disease and rehabilitation at a function held here at the Raj Bhavan.

The President said cardiovascular diseases constitute one of the major causes of death in India. It was possible to draw up a programme to prevent the occurrence of these deadly diseases.

The President said early detection of heart ailment would improve prognosis. The need for prolonged hospitalisation and use of costly equipment, difficult to come by, would be reduced.

“When these steps are taken, it is quite likely that there will be as appreciable fall in the number of patients who will need treatment over long periods,” he added.

The President said it was necessary to encourage the people to undergo periodic check- ups. Non- official bodies can be of great help in this connection and they can call with confidence on the help of cardiac specialists.

The President congratulated Bombay doctors on yet another initiative they had taken in establishing the society.

The president of the society, Dr V. V. Shah, said it had been started to bridge the gulf between the revelation of the means of salvation from heart disease and its actual availability to the layman.