Telangana has made public health its priority: School Edu Director

HYDERABAD: Since its formation, the State of Telangana has made rapid strides in all sectors, especially health. According to the Niti Aayog’s Health Index, Telangana is the third best State in the health space,” said Vakati Karuna, Director of School Education, and former commissioner of the Department of Health, Medical and Family Welfare.

Speaking at the conference with the theme, ‘Healthier Heart for a Better Tomorrow’, which was organised by the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) on Saturday, she said, “Telangana has made public health its priority and over the past eight years, we have seen a steep decrease in mortality rates. Communicable diseases are under control. A 300 per cent drop in malaria cases was noted, while there is also a steep decrease in tuberculosis cases, among others.”

“Telangana is one of the few Indian States which uses technology to make medicine affordable and accessible to all people. It is also one of the few States in India to have a dedicated cancer care network in association with tertiary hospitals,”  she added.

Anil Agarwal, FTCCI president, said, “The objective of the conference is to highlight the actions that individuals can take to prevent and control cardiovascular diseases. It aims to educate people and drive action towards controlling the risk factors. If certain actions are kept in control, a majority of premature deaths from heart-related diseases could be avoided. The most common cause leading to heart attacks is wrong lifestyle choices. Hence, precautionary strategies have to take centre stage in the fight against heart diseases.”

Dr AGK Gokhale, a renowned cardiac surgeon, said, “We need to appreciate our unique human body. It takes six trillion dollars in terms of efforts and material resources to incubate a human form. Our lifestyle and what we eat determine our health. To be happy, we need to take care of our physical, mental and social well-being. The decision to stay healthy is in our hands. “