An average Mumbaikar is doomed to die eight years before the average Indian. Why? Blame non-communicable diseases or NCDs, of which cardiovascular diseases (CVD) account for the biggest chunk, (17.3 million annually), followed by cancers (7.6 million), respiratory diseases (4.2 million), and diabetes (1.3 million).
These four groups of diseases, which account for around 80 per cent of all NCD deaths, share four risk factors: tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol and unhealthy diets. All risk factors are related to lifestyle choices and this probably explains why the World Heart Federation chose to focus on creating heart-healthy environments as the theme of this year’s World Heart Day. Hopefully, this September 29 will see our government announce policies which will coax people to make heart-healthy choices. The extra tax on tobacco products is a good step, says diabetologist Dr Shashank Joshi , but can we go further and ban fast foods and colas? The Food Processing Industries Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal recently asked Pepsi to cut down on sugar levels in Pepsi so the government does seem to be sticking to its line.
Dr Joshi was part of an Idea Exchange hosted by Express Healthcare where the principal guest, Dr Kenneth Thorpe, Chairman of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease shared his experiences with drafting health policy in the US. The third guest, Dr Ratna Devi was the patient’s voice at the meet. Each speaker gave their recommendations which I hope will guide policy makers and industry leaders. (See Express Healthcare September issue, pages 37-40: ‘Reining in the NCD epidemic’, for edited excerpts from the interaction)
A major reason why CVDs, and for that matter any disease, take such a heavy toll in India is the fact that we live in denial mode. Heart disease does not make the headlines unless political bigwigs like Lalu Prasad Yadav get admitted for heart surgery. The fact that politicos now choose to have their surgery right here in India rather than fly to the west is proof that cardiac surgeons like Dr Ramakant Panda of Asian Heart Institute and his ilk have managed to inspire trust in the level of expertise they have nurtured over the years. (See pages 30-33 for the story of how Dr Panda built up AHI over the last decade and a sneak peek into his plans for the second decade.)
But while cardiac care has improved by leaps and bounds in India, heart transplants are another story. We are still hampered by a serious lack of heart donors even while the art and science of heart transplants is something we have down to a pat. The lead story in the cover story section takes us through the highlights of heart transplant surgery in India. While the potential is alluring, the challenges are truly alarming; from availability of donor hearts to logistics to increasing costs. (See story, ‘The tale of heart transplant in India: Alarming or alluring?’ from pages 26-29)
As the new government at the centre passes the 100 days milestone on September 2, it is a good time to take stock of NaMo’s performance. Have the political promises been kept? Or are the politicos turned policy makers losing speed once the initial impetus has worn off? Lov Verma, Secretary – Health & Family Welfare recently announced that the government is in the process of drafting a national health policy to meet the rising demand for sustainable healthcare across the country. We hope that these issues will be addressed, implemented and taken beyond the announcements. With the focus on better, efficient and cheaper options for accessible, affordable and quality healthcare in the country, we also hope to see industry leaders step up to the challenge more proactively. We must not be in denial mode and deal with the challenges in order to tap the potential.
Viveka Roychowdhury
Editor
