Category health

March 6, 2023: In honor of International Women’s Day, Fazlani Nature’s Nest – A Wellness Retreat has unveiled its latest initiative: a three-day Women’s Wellness Programme. Designed to cater to the unique health concerns of women at different stages of life, the program offers a comprehensive approach to enhancing mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being

The Women’s Wellness Programme includes a range of therapies, such as naturopathic and ayurvedic treatments, massages, yoga, meditation, and animal-assisted therapies. Guests will also be provided with organic, farm-to-table meals to support their health goals.

The program addresses a wide range of health issues that women may face, including urinary tract infections, menstrual anomalies, obesity, high cholesterol, anxiety, stress, sleep disturbances, chronic diabetes, fatty liver, menopause, and gynecological issues. The retreat’s Ayurveda and naturopathic physicians tailor each program to meet each guest’s unique needs, ensuring they feel refreshed and revitalized.

Fazlani Nature’s Nest’s Women’s Wellbeing Initiative empowers women to prioritize their health and wellness. The retreat provides an environment of tranquility, personalized attention, and a range of wellness activities to help women relax, rejuvenate, and rediscover their inner strength.

Celebrate International Women’s Day by investing in your health and well-being.

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Bengaluru March 2023: Goeld ( part of Shri Bajraj Alliance Ltd a listed company), a renowned frozen food company, has announced the launch new products which will be exclusively available at Reliance Retail across the country. The new range of products include Pizza Pocket, Paneer Pakoda, and Idli. This new range of frozen foods by GOELD is specially designed to cater to the needs of Indian consumers who are always on the go and looking for quick and tasty snack options.

The Pizza Pocket is a delicious snack that combines the flavours of pizza and samosas, making it a unique and mouth-watering treat for pizza lovers. The Paneer Pakoda is a crispy and crunchy snack that is made with fresh paneer and a blend of Indian spices, making it a perfect tea-time snack. The Idli is a classic South Indian dish that is loved by people across India, and Goeld has made it easier than ever to enjoy this traditional dish at home. The ingredients are freshly picked from company-owned farms.

Speaking at the launch of GOELD products at Reliance Retail, Archit Goel, Executive Director and CFO of Shri Bajrang Alliance Ltd. shared, “ We are thrilled to launch our new range of frozen foods exclusively at Reliance Retail across the country. Our frozen Pizza Pocket, Paneer Pakoda, and Idli are perfect for all across age groups who want to enjoy delicious snacks without compromising on taste or quality. We are confident that our new range of frozen foods will be a hit with customers, and we look forward to hearing their feedback.”

All three frozen food products are made using high-quality ingredients and have undergone stringent quality checks to ensure that customers get the best possible product. They are easy to cook and can be enjoyed at any time of the day, making them an ideal snack option for individuals of all ages.

GOELD range of Products comprises of Indian bread like Garlic Naan and Aloo Paratha, to drooly snacks like Paneer Cheese Samosa, Mac & Cheese Pops and Veg Seekh Kebab; they also provide curries like Paneer Butter Masala, Dal Makahani, Pindi Chhole, as well as an array of vegan treats like Quinoa Patty, Soya Shami Kebab and Lachha Paratha (Made from Whole Wheat Flour).

The new range of frozen foods from Goeld is now available exclusively at Reliance Retail across India. Customers can also order these products online through the Reliance website or app. So, go ahead and indulge in these delicious frozen snacks from Goeld and experience the perfect blend of taste and convenience.

The last thing we want to do when we have friends and family over is be unable to spend time with them. So don’t slave away in the kitchen, let GOELD snacks come to your rescue!

What is the cost of data breaches for India? According to a study, as of July 2022, the average cost of a data breach in India went up to an all-time high of ₹17.5 crores a 6.6% increase from last year. The question is however what is the real cost of a data breach, the answer is – loss of trust and brand value; set back to digital advancement and acceptance; general mistrust of technology. The ransomware attack on one of India’s premier healthcare institutes AIIMS Delhi made the common man question the digitalization of the healthcare sector.

Harikrishna Prabhu COO, TechnoBind Solutions

This particular ransomware attack brought down nearly 5 of the hospital’s servers halting all the digital work and forcing the staff to work manually including checking the patients in and out. The biggest hit however was the suspected data encryption of nearly 1.3 TB belonging to the patients. According to various media reports, the initial prognosis of the attack said this incident occurred due to the lack of robust cybersecurity infrastructure.

This hampers the purpose and progress of the sector’s digitization process

The Indian government’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) is built to provide a digital health ID to every citizen in the country where health records can be saved securely in digital format. But the increasing and repeated attack similar to that of AIIMS Delhi has made people skeptical about trusting medical data in digitized formats and there is a good reason for it too. As per a data published, in 2022 alone till the month of November India’s healthcare vertical has suffered 1.9 million cyberattacks. As healthcare is a critical infrastructure the threat actors seem to have found this to be a lucrative vertical to take advantage of. The right way is to act rather than react. CERT-In noted a 51% increase in the number of ransomware attacks, including on critical infrastructure in 2021. Currently, the safety of a patient’s data will depend on how safe the hospital servers are. The evident lack of awareness about cyber risks and the use of legacy technologies have contributed immensely to the healthcare sector’s vulnerability.

The solution is an 8-step recalibration of the current cybersecurity infrastructure

Assess and analyze the current state of the cybersecurity infrastructure in individual hospitals and hospital chains

Understand the capacity of what the organization needs and put in place cybersecurity solutions relevant to the organization
Regularly update the software patches and encrypt data

Conduct frequent training of the staff and random audit exercises to check on any malfunction lacking in the deployed protocols
Control, limit and manage access to the staff, 3rd party and the leadership teams

Create a backup, restore and response plan

Enabling multifactor authentication and biometrics

Restrict access to external endpoint devices like personal mobile phones, laptops and desktops of healthcare staff

By Dr C N Patil, HOD and Lead Consultant – Medical Oncology & Haemato-Oncology, Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore

With the ongoing techade, scientific advancements in cancer treatment have grown by leaps and bounds leading to immense progress in medical science and research in treating cancer. Today, breakthrough methods like immunotherapy are being referred to as a “game-changer” and a “miracle in the making” in cancer treatment and has shown promising results in treating patients with advanced cancer.

This method prompts our body’s immune system to specifically combat and target diseases like cancer. This therapy utilizes our body’s natural immune system to kill cancer cells. Also known as immuno-oncology, immunotherapy is a targeted treatment method that can be administered to patients in different forms such as medications, vaccinations, antibody treatments, cellular therapies, intravenously, orally and topically or through a catheter.

This is an approved therapy to treat cancers like melanoma, lymphoma, and lung cancer and is also being tested in clinical trials for immune-based treatments for many other types of cancers. Compared to common cancer treatment methods such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, immunotherapy is a fairly new method. Depending on the type of your cancer, your oncologist may use immunotherapy along with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy or solely as a separate treatment if other methods have failed. This method is extremely advanced and doctors sometimes also use it as a first line of treatment.

How does immunotherapy work?

Our immune system plays a critical role in helping our body to ward off external and internal diseases and illnesses, however, it cannot detect the issues inside like cancer cells. This usually happens because the cancer cells lack the external markers which are used by our immune system to identify hostile bodies that are essentially ‘hiding’ from it. Furthermore, cancer cells also signal our immune system to not destroy them and in some cases, our immune system is too weak to identify and destroy these cells and may require external help. This is where immunotherapy becomes critical as it enhances our immune system’s ability to destroy the tumour cells, stops the growth of cancer cells and prevents them from travelling to the other parts of the body.

What are the different types of immunotherapeutic options available?

Today, various types of immunotherapeutic options are available and can be used to treat cancer. These include –

Immune checkpoint inhibitors: These drugs help the immune system in recognizing and attacking cancer cells.
Cancer vaccines: These expose our immune system to an antigen and trigger it to recognize and destroy that antigen or related materials and prevent the spread of cancer cells. For instance, HPV vaccine is used to prevent cervical, vaginal, vulvar or anal cancer in males and females.
CAR T Cell Therapy: This therapy removes and alters our T Cells to improve their ability to combat cancer cells.
Non-specific immunotherapies: These treatments boost our immune system and help in attacking cancer cells.

What are the side effects of immunotherapy?

The side effects of immunotherapy are very different from those in chemotherapy or radiation and are largely related to the stimulation of the immune system. These include –

● Rash

● Itching

● Fever

● Severe diarrhoea

● Thyroid dysfunction

● Liver dysfunction

● Breathing difficulty

What are the advantages of Immunotherapy?

A major advantage of immunotherapy is that it can train our immune system to remember cancer cells and creates an “immune memory” which results in long-lasting disease remissions that are maintained even after treatment is completed. Other advantages include –

● Prevents the destruction of normal cells during the treatment

● Avoids conditions like Osteoradionecrosis (bone death) and prevents loss of taste

● Affordable and cost-effective as the approximate cost of treatment ranges from 1 to 4 lakhs per cycle.

When should you undergo immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy does not work on all types of cancer and if your cancer has been stopped by surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy, then you may not require it. This therapy is not recommended for all types of cancer and you may have to discuss it first with your oncologist before undergoing any trials.

How do you know whether immunotherapy is working or not and how many cycles does a patient require?

It usually takes 3-4 months for our body to respond to immunotherapy. This response is assessed using CT/PETCT scans. A patient generally undergoes 3-4 cycles of immunotherapy before showing any response. In case there is a response to the treatment, then the treatment is continued till the patient is benefitting and the drug is having an effect on the tumour.

Dr V Keshavan Senior Consultant Pulmonologist, Apollo Hospitals, Hyderaguda.

Smoking of tobacco is one of the most important preventable causes of deaths worldwide, with 1 smoking associated death occurring every 6 seconds that results in around 6 million deaths annually. It has been estimated every cigarette smoked by an individual, causes a reduction of life span by 11 minutes and that on average, tobacco users lose 15 years of life. More than 75% of these deaths occur in middle- and low-income countries. It is important to note that nearly 10% of these deaths occur among non- smokers, due to the harmful effects of passive smoking. There are enormous annual global economic costs involved, totalling more than USD 1 trillion (directly due to health care costs and indirectly, due to loss of productivity).

India is the 3rd largest tobacco producer and has the 2nd largest number of tobacco users in the world. In India, there are over 1.3 million tobacco related deaths annually. Nearly 25% of all deaths due to cardiovascular causes and over 75% of all deaths due to respiratory causes are smoking related. Indian data reveals a high incidence of oral cancer, which exceeds even the incidence of lung cancer, such that nearly 50% of all cases of oral cancer globally are detected in India every year. Smoking also increases the risk of Tuberculosis by two- fold.

Apart from the adverse health effects of tobacco use, there are also adverse environmental effects. It has been estimated that over 84 megatons of green house gases are generated globally. Also, more than 600 million trees are chopped down every year by the tobacco industry.

The second Wednesday of March every year has been designated as “No Smoking Day”. This year, it is on the 8th of March. The main objectives are two-fold: to raise awareness among people of the harmful effects of smoking and to encourage people to quit smoking.

As this is such a vitally important public health issue globally, The World Health Organization (WHO), in 1988 passed a resolution to observe the 31st of May every year as “World No Tobacco Day”.

As per Indian data (GATS- 2) published in 2017, there were nearly 100 million active smokers in India. The prevalence of smoking ranged from 3.8% in Maharashtra to 34.4% in Mizoram.

The prevalence of smoking was 11.9% in rural areas when compared to 8.3% in urban areas.

Nearly 33% of the active smokers had started smoking before the age of 18.

Tobacco usage during adolescence and early adulthood has profound public health implications. Adolescent tobacco usage leads to “accelerated dependency” within a short period after first exposure. Tobacco usage among youth has been recognized as one of the behaviours that defy social norms.

Quitting smoking is one of the most important actions people can take to improve and safeguard their health. This is true regardless of the age or the duration that they have been smoking. This can reduce the risk of premature death and also reduce the risk for many adverse health conditions like cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer. Quitting smoking is the single best way to protect family members, coworkers and friends from the risks associated with passive smoking.

There are various pharmacological and non- pharmacological methods for smoking cessation.

The pharmacological methods include nicotine replacement therapy and prescription medications like varenicline and bupropion. Nicotine replacement therapy may include nicotine patches, gums and lozenges or nicotine in the form of a nasal spray or inhaler.

Non- pharmacological methods include counselling through smoking cessation clinics or by telephone helplines and by behavioural therapy.

Vaping (the use of electronic cigarettes) has generated a lot of interest recently as a replacement for traditional cigarettes. However, it has not been found to be safer or more effective than nicotine replacement therapy in helping people to quit smoking. Electronic cigarettes also contain nicotine, and can cause addiction like regular cigarettes. Long term use of electronic cigarettes can significantly damage the blood vessels in the body, and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Data from GATS- 2 indicates that over 90% of individuals were aware that smoking causes serious illness and that passive smoking was also harmful to health.

Over 50% of active smokers had an interest in quitting smoking and nearly 40% of active smokers had made an attempt to quit smoking. In the latter group, over 70% of individuals attempted to quit smoking without assistance of any formal method of smoking cessation.

The Government of India launched the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) in 2007 to raise awareness about the harmful effects of smoking and to help people to quit smoking. Various public health measures that have been adopted to tackle this issue include strict laws against smoking in public places, ban on direct and indirect advertisement, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco related products and encouragement to farmers growing tobacco, to shift to alternate crops. It is also mandatory to have pictorial and text warning labels on the covers of tobacco products.

It is heartening to note that as a response to all these measures, between 2009 and 2016, there has been significant progress in reduction of prevalence of tobacco use as per data from

GATS-2. However, it is important to note that while efforts to quit tobacco use have increased, the proportion of those who quit successfully still continues to be low. There is need for sustained efforts at all levels and coordination between various sectors to further reduce tobacco use.

Any tobacco user willing to quit usage can join the “m-cessation programme” of The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). A missed call can be given on 011-22901701 for registration. E-registration can also be done on http://www.nhp.gov.in/quit-tobacco.

An exclusive email ID quittobacco@gov.in has also been set up for promotion of this programme.

In order to quit smoking, the most important thing is to have a firm resolve. Indeed, it is difficult to stop smoking, as nicotine in cigarettes is very addictive. Patience and will power are necessary to quit the habit.

“Where there is a will, there is a way”

Dr V Keshavan

Senior Consultant Pulmonologist,

Apollo Hospitals, Hyderaguda.

“Ear and hearing care for all! Let’s make it a reality”

World Hearing Day is held on 3 March each year to raise awareness on how to prevent deafness and hearing loss and promote ear and hearing care across the world. This Year’s Theme is “Ear and hearing care for all! Let’s make it a reality”.

Hearing loss can affect anyone right from newborn to elderly population.

Most common causes in terms of frequency with which they manifest include diseases of middle ear, exposure to loud noises, medications used for other diseases. Less common are trauma and congenital causes.

Sound pollution in public places due to the high decibel horns in traffic / Use of regular voice prompts of electronic equipment at workspace / home and self-inflicted (earphones or headphones) leads to Noise Induced Hearing Loss which is ‘silent pandemic’.

Especially by the young generation for prolonged periods which will manifest hearing loss after few years of use.

Lifestyle changes like smoking, alcohol intake, high stress environment all contribute to hearing loss which is preventable.

Ringing sensation in ear, burning sensation, pain in ear after prolonged ear-phone use, are routinely encountered symptoms in these patients.

Prevention is better than cure. Avoid ear buds, loud music and noisy environment exposure. These precautions should be taken up by everyone.

Consult ENT specialist when you have an Ear complaint at the earliest.

It’s time to wave goodbye to the cozy winter days and enthusiastically gear up to welcome the most beautiful season of the year, the Spring Season. With the advent of Spring arrives the much awaited festival, the celebration of Colours and indefinite Joy, that is the occasion of Holi.

People inhabiting across all the corners of India celebrate Holi with high zeal and fervor as the festival of colours wanes the barriers of caste and creed and inspires all the people to indulge in the playing gulals, rang pichkaris, songs, dances and sumptuous meals. The outbreak of the pandemic imposed several restrictions on the society and the people, so after three long years people are going to experience the vibrant and engrossing celebration of Colours and happiness.

But before the celebration commence we need to register in our mind some basic safety norms which contributes for a hygienic festivity and keeps the human body fit and free from any kind of jeopardy that may arise due to the scorching heat, synthetic colours, heavy crowd around and the consumption of attractive but junk foods and drinks.

Dr P S Karmakar, Consultant, Techno India Dama Hospital shares some valuable insights for a secure Holi Celebration. According to him we all must participate but few safety measures need to be followed –

• a. We must try to use natural colours as these are less harmful. Before playing with colours we need to apply light oil on our skin and hair.
• b. We must avoid playing with open hair as the synthetic colours can cause permanent damage.
• c. We must make use of protective sunglasses.
• d. Our celebration will be incomplete without Holi Special Platter but one shouldnot refrain from the fact that this is month of sheer heat and the environment around is also unfavourable. All these can lead to indigestion and also liver trouble. So, we need to consume less oily and spicy food.
• e. We must drink plenty of plain water. Consuming Coconut water and pure lassi, cools and heals the throat and is also a healthy substance for maintaining a stable human health.
• f. Strictly say ‘No’ to Alcohol and avoid taking any addictive products like Bhang and other kind of drugs to make the celebration prolonged and enjoy a deep hangover. Incase, the gathering compels you then take alcohol but in a controlled amount.
• g. The mounting threat of Adeno Virus infection should be kept in mind. This is now a concerned disease especially in children. The elder generation also needs to be careful. The gathering and celebration can be a strong factor in affecting everyone with the Virus.

Earlier Holi was played with colors made of plant and flower extracts. But over the years, chemicals and other toxic substances have slowly replaced natural colors. Apart from causing irritation to the eyes, these synthetic colors might also lead to temporary blindness and permanent blindness in certain cases. These toxic chemicals can lead to skin irritation, dermatitis, and a plethora of skin conditions too. This colourful festival can be a better day of fun and frolic when we play it with safety measures.

Dr Soham Basak, Consultant, Cornea Department of Disha Eye Hospitals throws light on the causes of eye infection during Holi for kids and some special eye care tips for the younger souls.

Causes for eye infection/ damage during Holi:

• 1. Synthetic yellow colours used in Holi contain heavy metals like lead causing pink eye, corneal abrasion, chemical burn. Such colours should be avoided as they can have a telling effect on the kids.
• 2. Shining mica particles in red colour are really harmful and should be avoided as they can cause damage to the cornea.
• 3. Green/ bluish-green synthetic colours contain malachite green – which is highly toxic and can lead to ocular surface burns, disfigurement of the eyes and even blindness.
• 4. Kids tend to enjoy water balloons the most. But they are the most important cause of blunt eye injury. If kids eyes are hit by balloons full of colour, the eyeballs may get severely damaged, can cause bleeding inside the eye and may even lead to retinal detachment.
• 6. Water guns are the rage now. Jets of water at high speed can also damage your eyes.

Eyes care during Holi:

• 1. Protect eyes by wearing sunglasses or protective eyewear while playing with colours
• 2. Never put colour on others around the eyes!
• 3. Fasten or tie hair together by using a cap to prevent colour from dripping into the eyes
• 4. Never rub your eyes if colours enter into them as this may cause irritation or vision loss
• 5. Apply thick layers of coconut oil around your eyes as it will help the colour to get off easily without causing harm to the eyes
• 6. It is always important to keep an eye on the kids.
• 7. If a colour has entered the eyes – immediately wash eyes with clean tap water or drinking water. Wash thoroughly.
• 8. Visit your local eye specialist for immediate treatment. Severe injuries may require referral to a super-specialised eye hospital.
• 9. Eye drops such as an antibiotic (ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin) and artificial tear drops (carboxymethyl cellulose) may be applied safely. Do not self-medicate with steroid eye drops without consulting a doctor first.

Remember – safety is the best policy!

Natural colours made from home-based products are a much better and safer option to play Holi. These can be easily made and offer a safer option as compared to the synthetic colours. Haldi mixed with besan or flour can give a yellow colour and work as a face-mask at the same time. Petals of Palash flower can be used to obtain a saffron colour. Beetroot soaked in water provides a bright magenta colour. Henna Powder, Gulmohar, and Hibiscus Flowers etc. can also be used to make different colours.

Nowadays a wide variety of organic and vegetable-sourced colours are available. It is a good option to use these colours.

Hyderabad,4th March 2023: Obesity is a problem that plagues millions of people around the world. Body weight gain as a result of modern lifestyle is seen in all economic groups irrespective of age. Excess body weight is a medical problem. Uncontrolled obesity has a negative effect on various organs of the body and causes serious illness. Reducing life expectancy. Obesity and severity are estimated based on BMI (Body Mass Index), which is calculated based on the person’s height and body weight. B.M.I. 25 kg/m2 to 30 kg/m2 is considered overweight. If it exceeds 30kg/m2, it is considered obese.

Speaking on World Obesity day, Dr. Sandeep Reddy, Senior Endocrinologist, Kamineni Hospitals said, “ It is estimated that around 135 million people in India are affected by obesity and overweight. This represents a significant increase from previous years and is largely attributed to changing lifestyles, unhealthy eating habits, and lack of physical activity. Over the last few decades, there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of obesity in India, particularly in urban areas. It is expected that around 31% of urban Indians are overweight or obese, while the figure for rural areas is lower at around 12%.”

Obesity is a major risk factor for a range of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. In India, these conditions are becoming increasingly prevalent, with an estimated 77 million people living with diabetes and around 50 million people affected by cardiovascular disease” Dr. Sandeep added.

Due to genetic reasons, Indians are more prone to obesity due to the large amount of fat around the waist. In addition to this, some factors related to lifestyle have also been found to increase body weight excessively. These are: consuming food that provides more calories than needed, lack of physical activity, endocrine disorders (diseases of the endocrine glands), mental illnesses, and certain types of drugs. Dietary habits, lack of adequate sleep, and heavy reliance on vehicles also contribute to weight gain.

The first thing to do is to make sure that the physical activity is enough to burn more calories than the food intake. For this, exercise, a low-calorie diet, and the use of weight loss drugs should be done. If these efforts are unsuccessful and obesity persists, weight loss surgery may be recommended. Surgeries have been shown to give good results in reducing excess stubborn body weight. Obese people have been able to reduce their weight significantly with these operations. By making some changes in the digestive system, these surgeries limit the calories we get through food. Reducing the calories from this kind of food can be the real solution to all kinds of problems of excess body weight. Therefore, opting for bariatric surgery can help you get rid of excess body weight.

Hyderabad: March 4, 2023: Ashray Akruti’s World hearing Day Celebrations has witnessed the importance of Ear and Hearing Care, creating awareness and making it a Reality. The event was attended by Chief Guest Ms. Sonali Deshpande Chief Trustee and the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Persistent Foundation, Special Guest Mr. Shashi Reddy, Vice President (Engineering), Qualcomm, Guests of Honour Dr. Janardhan Rao Jagini, Cochlear Implant Surgeon, KIMS Hospital, Mr. George Mathew, Sr. Director, ADP, Mr. Ravi Shankar Marda, director with Premier Alloys and Chemicals Pvt Ltd, Mr. Nitin Sharma, Sr. Director Technology and Patent Counsel, Qualcomm, Mr. Vivekanandhan Somalingam, Sales Director- South Asia, Cochlear Medical Device company India Pvt Limited. Hearing Impaired Children along with their parents, Ashray Akruti employees, well-wisher’s and prominent personalities from different corporates. The event was conducted on 3rd March 2023, 11.00 am at The Plaza Hotel, Begumpet, Hyderabad.

Event started with auspicious lighting the lamp by Chief Guest and Guests of Honour. All the dignitaries and audience were moved by the life changing impact of Cochlear Implant surgeries. Tears rolled in the eyes of audience and everyone was emotional after witnessing the journey of the Hearing-impaired children. Chief Guest, Special Guest and Guests of honour has handed over the several hearing accessorise such as Sound Processors to the children.

While addressing the gathering Chief Guest Ms. Sonali Deshpande Chief Trustee and the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Persistent Foundation has appreciated Ashray Akruti for its divine social cause and giving a new life to many Hearing-Impaired Children.

Later, Ashray Akruti has recognized the efforts of Positive Impact makers of the society especially their contribution in bringing the celebration of sound, education, skills etc among Hearing Impaired Children through CSR Awards. Mr. DPK Babu, Founder, Director, Ashray Akruti has presented the CSR Awards and also felicitated ENT Doctors for their remarkable contribution to the society especially for Children with Hearing Impairment.

Later, while addressing the gathering Mr. DPK Babu said, Hearing Impairment is an invisible disability if this disability is undetected at an early age. Ashray Akruti with its vast community outreach initiatives and CSR support is able to make a difference to the very young hearing-impaired children through its charitable initiatives.

The event concluded with the National Anthem in sign language by the WEST (Women Empowerment through Sign Language and Technology) program Trainees of Ashray Akruti followed by lunch.

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While the pandemic has been an eye-opener for many of us, exposing various and serious underlying mental health disorders, which are often left unnoticed among people of all age brackets alive. In an endeavour to bridge the demand gap between individuals and mental health professionals, a new online platform named – happifyu.com was launched recently.

Happifyu is a brain child of co-founders Divya Shah and Alok Saxena along with their partners Rajneesh Singh and Dr. Satnam Singh Deol. During the launch event a panel discussion was conducted to spread awareness on impact of mental health on individuals, homes and workplaces.

The panellists included Dr Nimesh G Desai, Former Director, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, Delhi; Ms. Subha Chanrdrashekhar, Special Educator and Psychologist; Ms. Sonya Philip, Founder of Learning Matters; Ashish Goyal, Business Group Lead of Accenture; and Rajeev Mall, Vice President of Mondelez International.

Speaking about the inception and need for this platform, Ms Divya Shah said” The journey commenced in July 2020 as a small WhatsApp group to connect people during the covid19 lockdown. This small attempt helped people unwind, open, and talk about their emotional state, share their stories and helped build a community which supported each other during those testing times. Soon more people started to join from various parts of India and even abroad and helped us to shape it as an online radio channel ‘Radio diva’ solely dedicated to the cause.”

But after second wave and the grievances it brought forth, Radio Diva started conducting awareness sessions with counsellors and mental health experts to support people in issues of grief such as that of losing a loved one, anxiety of losing jobs and loneliness amongst all age groups.

“As the community grew, we also started getting requests for expert consults, we felt the need to convert it into an online platform to make it easier for everyone seeking help and to provide a faster way to connect to the experts; this laid the foundation for a need of a holistic platform and that was how happifyu.com was curated,” added Alok Saxena.

The team at Happifyu.com envisions to help individuals and organisations by conducting awareness and training programs, scientific assessment and evaluations on stress, anxiety, depression and various other issues that have an impact on organisations, individuals and the environment at home and workplaces. They offer a spectrum of therapists, clinical psychologists including hypnotherapists, coaches and mentors to assist individuals as well as organisations that are committed to provide for the over-all well-being of their workforce.

Talking at the launch, Rajeev Mall and Ashish Goyal shared the corporate perspective and said that there is a heightened awareness amongst organisations post the pandemic to create better workplaces for their teams. They added that organisations are actively taking steps on programs of mental health at workplaces.

Subha Chandrasekhar and Sonya Philip shared their experience on working with mental health for children and how home environment affects their growth.

Dr Nimesh pointed out that the stigma deters 80% of those affected from mental health to go to an expert on time. He emphasised that any changes in the behaviour leading to anger or sadness, any kind of suicidal thoughts are some alarming early signs and one must consult an expert.

According to a report by Deloitte from September 2022, poor mental health among employees cost Indian organisations around $14 Billion per year due to absenteeism and attrition. Their survey showed 80 % of Indian workforce reported issues of mental health.