Don’t Wait For ‘Golden Hour’

Some ill-fated information shatter dreams of families, readers unable to believe pictures of young people out in the newspapers or social media one or the other day in the form of “Sad Demise”. People living in vicinity unable to digest, some murmur it as heart failure (Amis Go Hart Fail) and some gently whisper his Rizq was confined (Amis oas wotmut).

In the region more families are losing their near and dear one, mostly young, of heart attacks. Doctors raise concern over the increased prevalence of heart attacks among the youth, which as per them is caused by several factors like smoking, tobacco consumption, sedentary lifestyles. Doctors also believe that prolonged stress is also the concern. Cardiac problems as per them are the leading causes of death and disability.

What is the way out? Health programmes and awareness alone are not sufficient. Non-availability of cardiologists in the primary healthcare facilities cannot be ignored.  People facing sudden cardiac problems and living far away from tertiary care health institutions cannot travel exhaustively and long distances to take a GOLDEN HOUR chance. Ensure poor people are not forced to visit private hospitals for surgical interventions as lifeline. They may avoid for lack of resources.

People also have responsibility. Do not ignore warnings or skip the guidelines laid down by cardiologists. Health is Wealth. Prioritize it, everything else will follow on its own. Come out of the sedentary lifestyle. Do not get stuck to the phones, now a main cause of curtailing outdoor walks. Compete with your elders. On toes from dawn to dusk. Used to take heavy diet without any ceiling but worked out. Fit and fine.

Search out for solace from serene beauties of the nature. Cut your heavy diet, do not put extra burden to yourself, what has been destined will reach you, irrespective of how much you run after.

Follow the norm of “excess of everything is bad”. Never forget that it is not just a piece of organ to pump blood only. A sound heart pleases Allah while a sick one is controlled by desires. Let’s make our hearts more flexible. Let our hearts make a room for empathy, care and compassion; both as doctor and as patient.

“There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.”

The author is GK HW columnist, hails from KHREW