The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Going all out for a healthy heart

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Monday, Sep 29, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Going all out for a healthy heart

Special Correspondent

City hospitals organise programmes involving youth, students

— Photo: S.R.Raghunathan

Tender act: A child places a placard pledging a healthy life for a healthy heart on the Marina beach to mark World Heart Day on Sunday.

CHENNAI: On the ninth World Heart Day on Sunday, hospitals and organisations in the city involved youth and schoolchildren, conducted meetings, rallies and walks spreading awareness about cultivating healthy eating habits.

Senior police officers and politicians participated in the meetings and launched medical camps at several places.

The day began on the Marina beach near Lighthouse with City Police Commissioner R.Sekar inaugurating a free cholesterol check-up camp. Walkers queued up to register and pledged to ‘lead a heart-healthy life’ by signing a placard.

The placard listed three decisions – walking 30 minutes a day, eating nutritious and heart healthy food and spending time every day on things that one enjoys.

Volunteers could list a fourth pledge for themselves. Some wanted to do meditation, or to get back to the gym, or to quit smoking.

The two-day event was jointly organised by Quaker Oats and Raj TV.

Walkathon

Students of Kendriya Vidyalaya participated in a walkathon that wound its way from Thirumangalam to Madras Medical Mission Hospital, Mogappair. Later, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sunil Kumar addressed a gathering of students. Senior cardiologists spoke on this year’s theme: Know your risks.

At Billroth Hospital at Shenoy Nagar, a free cardiac screening camp was inaugurated by Electricity Minister Arcot N.Veeraswami. Actor-politician R. Sarath Kumar participated.

Deepam Hospital at West Tambaram conducted a free medical camp for police personnel. About 50 police personnel were screened and offered counselling by cardiologists.

On Saturday, at the Cardiological Society of India’s Chennai chapter’s meeting, J. Balachander, director of the Cardiology Department in JIPMER, Puducherry, spoke about recent advances in pacing (installing pacemaker in the heart).

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