The iconic club confronted ‘Chupe Rustam: the Silent Killers’

Stress Sits Heavy on Press Club of India Members

New Delhi, August 26: The data emerging from screening of members of iconic Press Club of India (PCI) for hypertension and diabetes is scary. Stress seems weighing heavy on working journalists. The screening also underlines journalist community as one of the most vulnerable to twin health hazards; Hypertension and Diabetes.

Of 102 members (journos) screened 44 were caught hypertensive, 27 were pre hypertensive and 31 normal; 4 journos were found diabetic, 17 pre diabetic and 82 normal.

The intimidating figures emerged from screening camp organized last Saturday jointly by NGOs Sukhi Sansar (Dr. Sushila Sansar Chand Almast Public Welfare Trust) and Paridhi Art Group in collaboration with Press Club of India. The name of the pan India campaign run by two NGOs is ‘Chupe Rustam: The Silent Killers’. Meditoall, a high end health portal is associated with the campaign as its media partner.

Mark this one from the aforesaid data: A 54 year old sport journalist (name deliberately withheld) of a news agency tumbled upon this screening and was caught hypertensive i.e. 168/93.

Surprisingly, he had never had his blood pressure measured before. Neither was he on any medication. He was blithely unconsciously headed towards the precipice of a catastrophe. Now that he is in the know of his potentially fatal condition, he can very well prevent it by taking recourse to simple measures.

According to experts, compared with general Indian population, much higher percentage of journalists is hypertensive and diabetic. It is apparent that stress is taking a toll on Delhi Journalists’, given the diurnal stress of meeting deadlines and coming one up. The data is a sure link to their stressful professional life.

Press club of India strongly endorsed prevention as key to wellness by facilitating its members screened for silent killers namely hypertension and diabetes. Under the banner of ‘Chupe Rustam: the silent killers’ wellness campaign, media persons were sensitized about the danger of twin health hazards through a street play.

During the much needed event, it was underlined that given the amount of stress they take, it becomes all the more imperative for media men and women to be wary of these medical conditions to stall their progression. Stress being the biggest risk factor in today’s life, media persons is among one the most vulnerable community for these conditions.

The street play was enacted right in the main hall of PCI where journalists dine and drink and were made sober by the message the street play sought to send across. The street play turned out highly effective in hammering wellness message home. Rahul Jalali, President, Press Club of India, Nadeem Kazmi, Secretary General & committee member Ravi Batra watched the street play in rapt attention and found it very effective for health awareness. They said media should support any such health campaign.

The high point of campaign is its well crafted street play, which is emerging as a very effective tool to spread health awareness. Nirmal Vaid, president, Pridhi Art Group, trained Yamuna Khadar J.J. colony boys and girls for the street play which made quite an impact on press club haunters. Mr. Vaid has a knack of creating street play troupe in no time from among the community this campaign seeks to sensitize.

Dr. Sushrut Almast, founder of Sukhi Sansar and Chuppe Rustam campaign, a very committed preventive health campaigner, wants that getting screened for hypertension and diabetes regularly must be a habit with all Indians so that they can save themselves from being fleeced by unscrupulous health providers. He said, ‘Our Vedas contain the wisdom that of all the happiness we pursue in our life, one that comes first and foremost is from healthy body but we have completely forgotten that wisdom. We hanker after all other happiness which ranks next but give a damn to the most important one.’

Dhananjay Kumar, Editor in Chief, Meditoall and media advisor for the campaign did his bit by convincing his media brethren about how crucial preventive health is for them. Mr. Kumar said, ‘It is incumbent upon press people to join forces with Sukhi Sansar and Paridhi Art Group to make opinion in favor of the utmost necessity of preventive health.

The Campaign aims to inculcate among people all and sundry the habit of getting screened every year to stall the progression of these twin health hazards and catching them by their jugular before they go haywire. The health campaign seeks to revive health mantra- ‘Healthy Body is the first Happiness’ enshrined in our scriptures.

The campaign is catching fast nationally. Before Press Club of India, this campaign sensitized Tihar Jail inmates, Commandos at Mahidanda top in Uttarkashi, B-Town (Mumbai), Goa, Banglore et al. This campaign has earned a lot of laurels in iconic Tihar jail where this ran for 73 days and tourist state Goa. In Tihar, inmates themselves played the Nukkad Natak.