Technology to play a key role in improving the healthcare sector: Experts at Times Health Excellence Awards 2019

3rd June 2019; Mumbai: After successful previous editions in Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore, the fourth edition of Times Health Excellence Awards was held in Mumbai in presence of senior doctors and representatives from the healthcare industry. Apart from honoring some of the best doctors across various specialties and awarding professionals from the healthcare industry, the core focus of discussion was on the three pillars of healthcare- Availability, Accessibility, and Affordability.

A panel discussion was held with Dr. Suresh Advani, Dr. Hakimuddin Pardawala and Dr. Kalyani Sen to talk about the condition of the healthcare sector in India, and the problems faced by doctors and patients alike due to limited resources. Dr. Pardawala highlighted how Technology will be playing a key role in increasing the access to doctors, availability of medical facilities to patients and make treatments more affordable. Though India is one of the cheapest countries in the world for medical treatments, but experts believe there is much more that can still be done in this space with the help of certain waivers from the government.

With more and more mobile apps being launched so frequently for everything right from keeping a track of disease to the digitization of records to information and reviews of doctors to even making medicines available to your doorstep, technology will help shape the future. It has not just helped patients and their family members for a better experience but has also made a positive difference ono medical process and healthcare practices. From the affordability point of view, Dr. Sen and Dr. Advani emphasized on the how the government needs to provide leverage against taxes on various important machines that are important to provide a world-class healthcare infrastructure to patients. 

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Nurses, building bridges between doctors and patients

Doctors are often considered no less than God for us, saving and curing us from various illnesses, ensuring that we lead a healthy life. However, while doctors usually receive the appreciation and gratitude due to them, there are some people in the medical systems who give more than they receive. Doctors might not always have all their time to spend with one patient. But we cannot ignore the fact that patients require treatment and time beyond medicines and surgeries too and that is where nurses come into picture.

More than patient treatment, patient care is highly significant and goes beyond the medical aspect. It is not an uncommon understanding that patients often go through stress and anxiety about their conditions, their disease, injuries, medical proceedings, surgeries, or recovery. Hence it becomes crucial that the patient’s emotional needs are adhered to as much as their physical condition. Nurses in a hospital set-up facilitate this aspect quite well in by their display of empathy, and their availability. Nurses nurture a synergized relation with patients, and stand tall as the back-bones of the hospital, being there for the doctors as well as the patients.

Through their understanding and support, nurses aid

-          In figuring out the root cause of the patient’s sickness

-          In understanding symptoms and explanations closely

-          Assist in proper diagnosis and appropriate treatments.

-          Shorter hospital stays

-          Alleviation of pain and decreased anxiety

-          Positive outlook towards recovery

-          Contributes towards improved patient outcomes

-          Bridging the gap between patient, companion and doctors

The presence of nurses has also made the home-based programs quite accessible, affordable and believable too when the patient doesn’t necessarily require to stay lying on the hospital bed. Be it the birth of a child, recuperating after a traumatic accident, or providing end-of-life care, nurses are part of some of the most important events human beings experience at every stage of life, nurses are making increasingly important aspect of both medical care and social interaction look easy.

Through a plethora of duties, nurses also provide not just physical care in terms of administering medication and providing treatment, but they provide emotional support, counsel and educate families, and collaborate with other medical professionals. Despite providing maximum of the healthcare, nurses more often than not stay under appreciated or not acknowledged for how much they put in.

Some of the major tasks that the nurses handle include:

·         Emotional aspect- Nurses perform an emotional labor that not everyone can do. Nurses also have to provide dying patients with respectful end-of-life care, which can be a taxing task physically, mentally as well as emotionally. 

·         Knowing a little about a lot- While nurses can (and do) focus on specialties; usually they are required to know a little bit of everything, enhancing their knowledge base.

·         Bodily Functions - Nurses not only assist their patients with their issues, they also assist them with bodily functions pre, during as well as post treatment.

·         Long hours - Nurses work long shifts to provide support and relief to their team.

·         Doctors often do not have time to engage with patients much aside from reading their charts and small meetings, so they are not always aware of the patient’s day to day issues and pain levels, while nurses on the other hand are with the patient almost all of the time.

From being mere assistants working on the doctor’s instructions to bandaging the injured patients to now taking care of the patient’s medicines and monitoring their basic medical conditions, nursing has evolved over the years.

Those in the nursing profession no longer have to limit in providing care but also add extensive training and medical skills to the care they provide. The nursing profession, in general, is becoming more highly educated, and nurses are receiving increased training in specialty areas.

Some of the essential skills that nurses require are:

• Compassion
• Communication
• Ethics
• Critical Thinking
• Attention To Detail
• Confidence
• Adaptability
• Stamina
• Emotional strength
• Medical soundness
• Awareness

Irrespective of age and socioeconomic levels of society, nursing is a profession that impacts all. Whether as a newborn, a young child, an elderly individual, or a person who is recovering from an accident or suffering from an illness, nearly everyone has been through the care of a nurse at some point in their lives.

Caring for those who are sick or injured has become more complicated, and the role of nurses has expanded considerably. Nurses are not only involved in complex care giving, but they are developing mobile medical apps, creating healthcare policy, and even publishing research.

The demands in the medical sector have all the more made the nursing field to be continually growing and expanding to include different levels of nursing, various degree options, and deeper levels of specialization to meet the increasing needs.

Through the advanced degrees available professionally, there has been an ease for the doctors as nurses are more educated, aware and of a larger help to doctors by being appropriate to handle the small accidental injuries and even treat some usual illnesses. This has also allowed for more employment growth and for the availability of a career choice for some who want to be associated with the medical sector but cannot be doctors.

Contributed by Col Binu Sharma, Senior Vice President-Nursing Services, Columbia Asia Hospitals Pvt. Ltd

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World Heart Federation: Tobacco is Responsible For More Than One in Ten Deaths Caused by Cardiovascular Disease

·         The theme of WHO World No Tobacco Day 2018 on 31 May is: "Tobacco breaks hearts, choose health and not tobacco"

·         Smoking is associated with around 7 million global deaths per year and is an independent, major risk factor for myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure and low quality of life

·         The World Heart Federation is working with the WHO on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day to raise awareness of the link between tobacco and CVD, and to promote the immediate and long-term benefits of stopping smoking

World No Tobacco Day is a World Health Organization initiative that will be held on 31 May and this year will focus on raising awareness of the link between tobacco and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Tobacco is associated with around 7 million deaths worldwide every year, directly related to the consumption of an indirect exposure to smoke.

Smoking damages blood vessels and thickens blood. It increases blood rate and blood pressure and replaces oxygen, making it an important risk factor in the development of coronary disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Furthermore, it is the second most prevalent cause of CVD after hypertension. Given that CVDs constitute the number one cause of death in the world, the World Heart Federation (WHF) applauds this initiative by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Despite the general public is familiar with the impact that tobacco causes on health, the WHO highlights the fact that it is rarely thought of as being one of the main causes for CVD. According to WHF President Professor David Wood: "Tobacco consumption constitutes the main avoidable risk for cardiovascular health. Because of this, it is our duty to help our patients with heart disease to quit smoking, and for those patients at high risk of having a heart attack or stroke to help them quit as well. By doing so we can help all our patients to reduce their risk but even more importantly we need to raise awareness and educate the general public about the impact tobacco on our hearts and crucially the importance of children and young people never start."

Almost 80% of the one billion smokers around the world live in average and lower income countries where the burden of illness and death associated with tobacco is much greater. With this in mind, WHF through its "Because every heartbeat matters" policy is promoting an agenda of greater access to care and the prevention, control, and management of cardiovascular illnesses for everyone, regardless of status or circumstance, with the objective of extending and improving quality of life.

"We firmly believe in the need to continually highlight the risks of tobacco to the health of our hearts and circulation. By bringing together healthcare professionals, governments, institutions, industry and the general public around a common cause we can continue to educate people about the dangers of tobacco and unhealthy lifestyles, and promote the need for universal access to care," adds Prof. Wood. To aid this education, WHF will soon be releasing two fact sheets on smoking cessation: one for the general public and one for professionals.

On 29 September, WHF will be celebrating World Heart Day with the objective of raising awareness about the importance of good cardiovascular health. One of their key messages is around the immediate and long-term health benefits brought about by quitting smoking:

• Within just 20 minutes, heart rate and blood pressure drop
• 12 hours after stopping smoking, the carbon monoxide levels in blood drops and returns to normal levels
• Between 2 and 12 weeks, circulation will have improved and pulmonary function increased
• Over the first 9 months, coughing and breathlessness diminishes
• One year after quitting smoking, the risk of contracting a coronary disease is approximately half that of a smoker
• Between 5 and 15 years after quitting smoking, the risk of suffering from a cerebrovascular accident drops to that of a non-smoker
• 15 years after having quit smoking, the risk of suffering from a coronary disease equates to that of a non-smoker

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Nestlé Launches Global Initiative to Help Children Lead Healthier Lives

Nestlé for Healthier Kids" to help 50 million children lead healthier lives by 2030  

On the United Nations International Day of Families, Nestlé announced its global "Nestlé for Healthier Kids" initiative. The program includes the further development of healthier products and advice for families on nutrition and exercise. It aims at helping 50 million children lead healthier lives by 2030.   

Since its foundation, Nestlé has been committed to helping parents and caregivers provide the right nutrition to their children. With this new initiative Nestlé is accelerating the transformation of its food and beverage portfolio worldwide. In 2017 alone, the company launched more than 1000 new products to meet the nutritional needs of children. In the same year, it provided 174 billion servings of fortified foods and beverages in 66 countries where people lack essential micronutrients such as iron, iodine and vitamin A.    

Mark Schneider, Nestlé CEO, said: "Childhood is a time where life-long habits are formed. We want to help parents make healthier choices for their children. This is why we are accelerating our efforts to support families in raising healthier kids and we call on others to join us in this endeavor."     

Nestlé already reformulates around one third of its product portfolio every year. It will use its industry-leading innovation capability to further enhance foods and beverages for children with even more fruits, vegetables, fiber-rich grains and micronutrients. Nestlé will also continue to reduce sugars, salt and saturated fats. Some recent product launches include Gerber Grabbers Strong Veggies vegetable and fruit purees, Nido organic milk powder and Nesquik Alphabet whole grain breakfast cereals with reduced sugar.   

For over a decade, Nestlé has improved the nutritional value of its products. With "Nestlé for Healthier Kids", the company pledges to continue this work for the long term. Its immediate goals by 2020 are to:   

• ·         Add at least 750 million portions (80g) of vegetables to its products;   
• ·         Add at least 300 million portions (16g) of fiber-rich grains, pulses, nuts & seeds to its products;    
• ·         Further reduce sugars by 5%. Since 2000, the company has reduced sugars by over 34%;  
• ·         Further reduce salt by 10%. Since 2005, the company has reduced salt by over 20%;  

Complete the commitment taken in 2014, to reduce saturated fats by 10% in all relevant products that do not meet WHO recommendations;

Nestlé will also enhance programs and online services designed to provide parents and caregivers with more nutritional knowledge, healthy recipes and practical tips. In 2017, over 300 partnerships worldwide have helped the company reach more than 14 million children.

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Australian Patient Weighing 201 kgs Underwent Successful Surgery for Diabetes at Aastha Health Care

 

Denver Smith, a 42yrs old male and an Australian national, suffering from severe obesity, chose Aastha Health Care for his treatment. He underwent successful bariatric surgery under Dr Manish Motwani, Obesity Surgeon at Aastha Health Care.

Obesity is in the phase of a global endemic and is the root cause of diabetes in such patients. Almost 70% of diabetics are obese and this cannot be a mere coincidence. Most importantly, as obesity decreases, there is tremendous response to diabetes.

Denver was weighing 201kgs and was troubled because of his morbid obesity. He was an uncontrolled diabetic on insulin with a strong family history of diabetes and heart diseases. Denver was also down with severe knee pain and had difficulty to walk. He had started getting severe breathlessness on walking.

"Bariatric Surgery, turns out to be the best bet for treatment of Diabetes in more than 95% of patients. India in general and Mumbai in particular is considered to be one of the best destinations for Medial tourism where Bariatric Surgery is performed with best equipment, economical charges without compromise on quality," says Dr Manish Motwani from 'Aastha Health Care'.

India's medical tourism sector is expected to experience an annual growth rate of 30% by 2020. An estimated 150,000 patients travel to India for low-priced healthcare procedures every year. Dr Motwani futher said, "On an average we consult approx. 15-20 international patients every month in the specialty of Bariatric surgery and operate at least 7-8 patients for the same."

"Denver has undergone Mini Gastric Bypass, which is considered as surgery for diabetes in obese patients. He would come down to approx 90-100 kgs in a year's time. We are pretty confident that he would get rid of his diabetes and also the excess weight. Life would be worth living, then," said Dr Manish Motwani.

"With the expanding expertise and the personalised service available in medium sized hospitals like 'Aastha Health Care', patients can get Bariatric surgeries done at 60% the cost of corporate hospitals with no compromise in level of care," says Dr Manish Motwani.

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Dr Batra's Geno Homeopathy Redefines the Future of Healing - Introducing for the First Time in India a Revolutionary, Scientific, Safe and Precise Gene-targeted Homeopathic Therapy

Having carved a distinct niche for itself in the last four decades globally in the field of Homeopathy, Dr Batra's Multi-Specialty Homeopathy Clinics today revolutionized the future of healing by launching Dr Batra's Geno Homeopathy, a revolutionary and path-breaking gene-targeted homeopathic therapy that is scientific, precise, safe and uniquely planned for individuals for the first time in India.

Dr Batra's Geno Homeopathy is a new age customized treatment. It is genetically personalized homeopathic care that involves designing a treatment based on individual genome sequencing. It combines personality and genetics for scientific and targeted treatment. It is a personalized treatment, as no two people on this planet have the same genes. Genes of every person are as unique as his finger print or iris. Therefore, unlike the conventional treatments currently in practice, which are one size-fits-all, with Dr Batra's Geno Homeopathy, no two patients with even the same medical condition will be given same medicines. Medicines will be given based on their genetic make-up, and will be as unique as every individual, so that the medicines work more effectively for every patient.

Research studies have indicated that homeopathic medicines have the ability to correct any underlying illnesses without side-effects. Dr Batra's Geno Homeopathy goes to the root of the problem; right to the patient's genes and treats it with precise and unique homeopathic medicines. As the root cause of the medical problem is treated, the patients not only get relief from unpleasant symptoms but a long-lasting cure for their medical condition.

Geno Homeopathy tests are designed by Dr Batra's team of medical experts in conjunction with specialists in genomics and specialist consultants in the field of medicine. These tests are designed based on the vast experience of treating 15 lakh patients at Dr Batra's Multi-Specialty Homeopathy Clinics for the varied disorders including Allergies, Child Health, Hair loss, Preventive Health (Male/Female/Child), Skin Disorders, Stress Management, Weight Management, Women's Health and Sexual Health.

Patients can therefore target a whole gamut of ailments with this simple, genetic test that is painless and cost-effective, and is available at all Dr Batra's Multi-Specialty Homeopathy Clinics Pan India.

Dr Batra's Geno Homeopathy test will also help patients know if they are at risk of getting a medical disorder in future, which means it can assess the hidden risk of a medical problem even before the symptoms appear or the blood tests reveal an underlying illness. It therefore gives patients an opportunity to prevent and treat lifestyle diseases.

Dr Batra's Multi-Specialty Homeopathy Clinics will also create a bank of patients' genomic data called Geno Homeopathy Bank. This genomic data will be used to predict which treatment option is likely to be most effective for patients or how they are likely to respond to any treatment in the future. It will also help derive better treatment results for other patients, as the test will help the doctors treat the associated complaints of a particular disorder. It will help them analyze which homeopathic medicines best suit a particular genetic make-up or how patients with a particular disorder are prone to any other health complication (for example, a patient with a skin problem called psoriasis, is prone to have diabetes). With this every patient will have a chance for better and faster healing.   

  

For Dr Batra's Geno Homeopathy, Dr. Mukesh Batra, Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Dr Batra's Healthcare, said, "With Geno Homeopathy, we are revolutionizing the future of healing. At Dr Batra's, we have always believed that technology and research should be at the core of evolving therapies. By launching Geno Homeopathy, we have tried to bring to our patients the benefits of a technologically superior treatment, which is not only personalized and focused but also cost-effective."

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