Health volunteers’ training workshop held

Health volunteers’ training workshop held

Training Workshop for the Health Volunteers was organised as a part of the ongoing “Healthy Nehtaur” campaign, under the aegis of Health and Education Promotion Trust (HEPT), at Mahdi villa, Nehtaur, Dist. Bijnor (UP).

More than 50 volunteers associated with the “Diabetese and Blood Pressure Monitoring and Counseling Center” undertook this training conducted by Dr Vikas Tyagi, who had his schooling in Nehtaur, and Dr Sunita Tyagi, Senior Medical Officer, both Roorkee-based. Training comprised sessions on Diabetes (Blood Sugar), Hypertension (Blood Pressure) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (C.P.R.) with hands-on practice on a dummy.

In his inaugural address, Dr Ashish Arya, In-charge Community Health Centre (CHC), Nehtaur, Chief Guest, lauded the Center’s efforts as a new initiative in the whole region, and congratulated these young selfless volunteers for their invaluable free services.

He also congratulated Ghizal Mahdi for having established this permanent free centre, where, along with the services to screen and counsel for sugar and blood pressure, general awareness regarding health is also created.

He said the Center-referred patients, who reach CHC, are provided free medicines. He assured his full cooperation in all the activities under the “Healthy Nehtaur” campaign.

In his address, Bilal Zaidi, Principal HMI Inter College, expressed confidence that the workshop will undoubtedly deepen Health Volunteers’ understanding and equip them to play a more effective role in the society.

Charan Singh Sharma, retired principal of SNSM Inter College, expressed his desire that more such Centers are established and more programs like this workshop are organised at other places, and neighboring areas also witness campaigns similar to the “Healthy Nehtaur” campaign.

Ghizal, founder and manager of the Center, gave examples of how the people are counseled through the examples that they can easily relate with and follow. For example, replacing a portion of wheat by gram in flour. He thanked Dr. Ashish Arya, Dr. Vikas Tyagi, Dr. Sunita Tyagi, Principal Bilal Zaidi, and Principal Charan Singh Sharma, and expressed the hope that in future also they will continue to extend support.

After the inaugural session, for several reasons, Dr. Vikas Tyagi and Dr. Sunita Tyagi conducted sessions on Diabetes (Blood Sugar) and Hypertension (Blood Pressure). Firstly, these Health Volunteers have been involved in screening and counselling the people for these two parameters for the last 46 weeks.

“Two, it is in our hands to maintain these in the desirable range, as these are the products of our lifestyle. Three, these are silent killers, as there are no immediate symptoms like several other ailments. And, hence their regular monitoring, even when there is no apparent reason, is a must.

“Four, as per the study in 2021, there were 101 million people in India with diabetes and 136 million with pre-diabetes, while 315 million people had high blood pressure. A third session on CPR was introduced where each volunteer practised on a dummy, because a Health Volunteer must be able to intervene in an emergency situation,” said the body.

Doctors covered all aspects of blood sugar and blood pressure, it said. That is, why and how one attracts these ailments.

“What body mechanism is involved. What steps one can take to prevent these. And, if one becomes a victim of these ailments, then to keep these under control, what all – exercise, diet, monitoring, and medication – one should do. And, that should be under proper medical advice and regularity or punctuality is essential.”

Dr Sunita highlighted the role of insulin in regulating blood sugar and that the latter is largely asymptomatic. Only when it reaches very high levels do the symptoms such as thirst, delayed healing, and others manifest.

Practically diabetes can affect every organ of the body.

She told that to make diagnosis of diabetes we should measure the – random, fasting, and postprandial blood sugar and glycosylated Hb (HbA1c). She cautioned against the danger of sudden fall in blood glucose level (hypoglycemia). She underlined the role of mental stress in exacerbating or even giving rise to diabetes and hypertension, and that may result in complications.

Dr. Vikas appreciated the presence of a large number of girls among Health Volunteers. Having passed XII class, most of these volunteers, who were from the biology stream, were busy preparing for different entrance tests. Dr. Vikas told them that like them, he had studied in Nehtaur and played in these lanes and bylanes. And, with hard work and dedication, they can also reach places.

He started with the basics – role of oxygen and why to maintain BP (blood pressure) is important. He underlined the need to monitor BP for a week, in the morning and evening or more better to measure ambulatory BP so as to make a clear diagnosis.

Emphasising the roles of proper diet, exercise and medication, he cited his own example. How, with a history of hypertension, he could reach the stage when he could do away with the medication! However, he continues to carry on with proper exercise and diet along with regular monitoring.

Highlighting that BP and sugar are called silent killer because initially there are no symptoms until they reach very high and then symptoms emerged. But with regular monitoring we can detect in early stages and prevent the complications. He also said we should not ignore any symptoms, like in case of heart attack most of the people attributes chest pain to indigestion or muscular pain. He said that low blood pressure is no ailment; and quite often, it is a consequence of bleeding or dehydration.

In the last technical session on CPR, Dr. Vikas underlined the importance of time. When a person’s heart beat stops, immediate help can be provided to save one’s life. We have a maximum of 5 minutes to revive the patient because after that there may be brain dead and person will go in vegetative state.

After ensuring the scene safety and asking someone to call for help, the patient is to be revived by using only chest compression initially.

Even mouth-to-mouth resuscitation can be given if one wish to do so but not necessary and even if someone don’t want to give mouth to mouth, he has to give chest compressions.

He also said the slight difference in case of a victim of drowning, where to begin with breathing is to be given before starting chest compression. He also removed the misconception that water has to be drained out from the stomach of patient, as it is water in the lungs which is harmful. And, the Health Volunteer can do nothing about it. Every volunteer practised CPR on the dummy.

These sessions were highly interactive. Because of the friendly approach of the doctors, and Dr. Vikas’ emphasis on his schooling in Nehtaur, the volunteers could easily identify with them and asked questions freely to clarify their doubts. And the doctors responded cheerfully and explained in detail in a simple language and with easily relatable examples.

In the concluding session, Dr. Vikas highly appreciated the “Swasth Nehtaur” initiative and encouraged Health Volunteers. Ghizal thanked Dr. Vikas and Dr. Sunita for their valuable time, interest, involvement, encouragement, and readiness to be always available for guidance.

The Health and Education Promotion Trust, HEPT (Reg.) was founded in August 2019 by a group of five alumni of Jamia Millia Islamia – Ghizal Mahdi, Shyam Sunder Agarwal, Professor Zubair Meenai, Mahendra Singh Manaral and Hasan Abdullah.