Is Corporate India healthy?

Columbia Asia Hospitals, Ahmedabad’s Corporate Forum Aims to Find Answers

• The Corporate Health Forum discusses best practises for enhancing the health of Corporate India, and the fight against the BIG FOUR – Diabetes, Obesity, Cancer and Cardiac Diseases 

In a first of its kind initiative, Columbia Asia Hospitals, Ahmedabad organized a Corporate Health Program, bringing together doctors, occupational health experts and HR heads of corporate houses to discuss best practices in their respective organizations and usher in newer initiatives to improve the health and wellness of employees.

The program put particular focus on the BIG Four – Diabetes, Obesity, Cardiac Disease and Cancer –whose rising incidence is a subject of major concern for India in general and the corporate world in particular.

In today’s fast paced lifestyle, a rising number of corporate employees are at the risk of several diseases which can lead to serious deterioration in their productivity and general well-being. The BIG4 Corporate Program was aimed at discussing the causes and effects of Diabetes, Obesity, Cardiac Diseases and Cancer, the four major concerns plaguing the corporate world.

Behind the success of any organization is its productive and healthy workforce. Thus, it becomes imperative for organizations to develop proactive concern when it comes to the health of its employees. Through the discussions, the experts and human resource managers tried to figure out solutions that can be incorporated in HR practices to improve the health of the employees and by extension increase their productivity.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gaurav Ananad, General Manager, Columbia Asia Hospitals, Ahmedabad, said, “With increasing affluence and changing lifestyles, India is witnessing a dramatic rise in incidence of non-communicable diseases. Not only are lifestyle disorders taking more people in their grip but are also catching relatively younger men and women today. Taking initiatives to prevent lifestyle diseases will go a long way in ensuring a healthier life and longevity for our workforce. Since people spend a bulk of their time at work, corporate employers must play a key role in bringing about a change towards prevention. Our Corporate Health Program is aimed at finding solutions to improve the health of Corporate India”.

The program included talks and panel discussions between doctors and health policy experts and was attended by HR heads from different corporate houses, some of whom also shared the best practices followed in their respective organizations. Among the participants were Ms Azzmin Mehta, HR Head, Courtyard Marriott, Ahmedabad; Dr Ashou Shankdhar, occupational Health & Wellness Concultant, Honda Motors; Dr Pratik Umarwadia, Medical Consultant, RBI & Indian Oil, among others.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Jayesh Rawal, Consultant, Interventional Cardiology at Columbia Asia Hospitals, Ahmedabad, said, “Rise in incidence of cardiovascular diseases is a major concern in India today. What is more worrying is a downward shift in the average age of incidence of cardiovascular disease. The problem stems from lifestyles that are low on physical activity and high on intake of unhealthy fast food. Constantly high levels of stress also contribute to this situation. The corporate world is home to a large section of India’s young working age population and this is where we can make a lot of difference in inducing healthier lifestyle choices. We believe employers must ensure a greater push towards physical exercise and healthy food in their premises”.

Speaking about the health challenges faced by women in the corporate world, Dr Aarti Vazirani, Consultant, Gynaecology, Columbia Asia Hospitals, Ahmedabad, “As the presence of women in the corporate world increases, it is imperative that we talk about the health challenges faced by them in the high-paced stressful work environments of the day. Women today face the dual stress of responsibility at work as well as at home. The result is rise in incidence of conditions like hormonal imbalance, poly cystic ovary syndrome, reproductive health issues, along with other lifestyle conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiac diseases. Unfortunately, women also tend to ignore their health to a large extent. We must pay special attention to the health needs of women and ensure that we help corporate organizations design policies that are amenable to them”.

The ‘Big Four’ programme received an overwhelming response from the corporate world, and provided the first of its kind platform for stakeholders to discuss ways to bring about a healthier future for employees in the corporate world.

This was first of a series of discussions on corporate health that the hospital intends to carry in the coming months. The Hospital plans to conduct more such exercises to bring about a shift in social consciousness towards healthier lifestyles.