Heart Patient's Association Through Mouthshut.Com. Review on MouthShut Community Center

Could we use MOUTHSHUT.COM as launching pad for creating

a Heart Patient's Association (HPA) in India ?

INTRODUCTION :

In India, several thousands of people suffer from coronary

heart disease (CHD). It is a matter of great concern that

many CHD cases have been reported even in the age group of

30 to 35 years.

Conventional(Surgical) remedies are quite expensive and

sometimes beyond the reach of many common people. As for

example, an angiograph may cost anything between Rs.12,000/-

to 25,000/-, an angioplasty between Rs.50,000/- to

1,50,000/- and a bypass surgery between Rs.50,000/- to

2,50,000/- depending on the type of facilities provided.

Whereas an angioplasty done correctly may give a warranty

of 2 months to 2 years, a bypass surgery may give a likely

warranty of 2 to 6 years at the best and rest depends on

the patient's capability of his lifestyle management.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS :

1. An interactive media or the basic platform for

communication (Mouthshut.com could be the platform).

1. Necessary financial support to make a beginning.

For the financial part, existing charitable foundations may

be approached once the requirement and necessary support for

HPA has been established.

OBJECTIVES OF HPA (India):

1. Educating people on different aspects of CHD(coronary

heart disease) and their control.

1. Creating awareness on the advantages of yoga,safe

physical exercises(depending on the patient's condition),

diet/calorie intake control or in short teaching different

TLC (Therapeutic Life-style Changes) techniques.

1. Creating a panel of Heart Specialists/Surgeons for giving

free advice.

1. Interacting with patients experimenting with different

naturopathic cure techniques and natural ways and means of

controlling blood chemistry ( mainly the lipid profile) so

that further arterial damages can be prevented.

1. Discussing advantages and disadvantages of different

surgical procedures and helping patient's to take the right

decision.

1. Helping the most deserving candidates to the extent

feasible financially or otherwise.

1. Increasing the confidence level of patients and removing

the 'Fear Psychosis' prevalent amongst most of them.

1. Prevention is always better than cure : Campaign the

methodologies for the same. On many occasions, CHD patients

come to the hospital at the last stage when doctors cannot

do anything to revive the patient.

P.S. To know more about CHD, readers may please also see

''Coronary Heart Disease'' review written in Health Issues

Category under 'Knowing more about Diseases/Illness' on

24th. of June, 2003.