Kochi :Commuters waiting and passengers in the vehicles at the busiest Edappally traffic junction got a pleasant surprise in the morning today when in an unusual move, Aster Medcity’s campaign ‘Just walk and avoid the block’ was launched by Mr Vijayan K V,Asst Commissioner – Law and Order in the presence of Mrs Sini Varghese, Cine Artist and Mr Biju Issac , Motor Vehicle Sr.Inspector . The new campaign promotes cardiac health through regular exercise in the form of walking. Next time you’re inching forward impatiently in your vehicle on one of the crowded roads of Kochi, you’ll probably find a billboard that advices you to walk in order to avoid the block.Mr Ramesh Kumar, COO and Vinod Y R, Chief Business Development Officer,Dr. Rajashekara Varma, Consultant in Cardiac Sciences and Bejoy Changarath ,Asst General Manager of Aster Medcity were also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Cine Actor Sini Varghese said, ‘In today’s busy times, we tend to neglect our own bodies. A healthy body like an healthy mind is very important in life and for this one should set apart some time of the day for walking. Aster Medcity’s campaign enlightens us that #myheartmatters and tells us the simple secret to a healthy heart through walking daily.’
Mr Vijayan K V,Asst Commissioner – Law and Order emphasised the importance of regular walking for maintaining a healthy body. He called for opting for walking whenever possible in the city which is becoming more congested. He asked the youth to spread this message to the society at large.
Getting stuck in a traffic block is suffocating, and it’s only when the block clears that traffic moves ahead. Drawing a parallel between traffic blocks and blocks that occur in the heart causing it to ‘suffocate’, the campaign seeks to educate people on how walking for just 45 minutes daily can help prevent lifestyle related health problems like blocks in the heart.
Dr. Rajashekara Varma, Consultant at the Centre of Excellence in Cardiac Sciences, Aster Medcity added, ‘With a sedentary lifestyle today, an increasing number of people are falling victim to a block in their heart which requires angioplasty. The simple step of taking a brisk walk daily for just 30 to 45 minutes can help an individual to stay fit and lower the risk of lifestyle diseases like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.’
One lakh brochures educating the public on the benefits of walking were also distributed at five most busiest traffic junctions at Edappally , Plarivattam, Vytilla , Kaloor and Pallimukku in the city through the day. The brochures also contained information on the best time and the ideal place to walk, and tips on how to walk and what to wear in addition to other information on staying healthy.
Dr. Harish Pillai, CEO, Aster Medcity and Cluster Head of DM Healthcare Kerala, said, ‘Patient education is an integral part of modern healthcare and our campaign telling people to ‘walk the block away’ for a healthy heart is a small step in educating people on the advantages of simple exercises and healthy habits. We hope that our initiative will help individuals to gain control over their lifestyle and stay healthy.’
