Fit India drive to coincide with Dubai Fitness Challenge

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Fit India drive to coincide with Dubai Fitness Challenge

Dubai - The Indian consulate in Dubai looks forward to organising Fit India events.

by

Dhanusha Gokulan

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Published: Thu 26 Sep 2019, 10:50 PM

Last updated: Fri 27 Sep 2019, 12:54 AM

Activities for India's Fit India Campaign in the UAE will coincide with sporting events for the Dubai Fitness Challenge this year, announced senior officials from the Consulate-General of India in Dubai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 'Fit India Movement' on August 29, which is celebrated as National Sports Day.
While addressing the media and senior community members at the consulate on Thursday, Consul-General of India to Dubai Vipul said: "When PM Modi launched Fit India, he said lifestyle disorders lead to lifestyle diseases. The consulate looks forward to organising Fit India events, and we look forward to attaching these events with the upcoming Dubai Fitness Challenge in October."
In line with the World Heart Day on September 29, the consulate, the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services (DCAS) and Zulekha Hospital partnered on Thursday to discuss the scope of the Fit India Campaign and Zulekha Hospital's 'Save Hearts' initiative. Save Hearts is a an initiative that aims to educate individuals on how to be first responders in emergencies and practise cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to save lives.
Vipul was joined by Khalifa Hassan Aldrai, CEO of DCAS; Zanubia Shams, co-chairperson at Zulekha Hospitals; Anil Bansal, consultant interventional cardiologist at Zulekha Hospital; and Nafeesa Ahmed, director of nutrition and lifestyle management; and other community members.
The DCAS also gifted the Indian Consulate an automatic external defibrillator (AED) device.
Khalifa Hassan Aldrai said: "The device drastically improves the survival rate of the patient. As part of the DCAS outreach programme, we have distributed a total of 22 such devices to various government sectors and our partners across Dubai since March 2019, including the Dubai Metro. Two devices were handed over to St Mary's Church in Dubai."
Vipul said the high incidence of heart diseases among Indians in the UAE is a cause for growing concern, and the missions plan on undertaking activities to help those in need by undertaking activities with the Fit India Movement.
He advised preventive measures such as diet and exercise and said the community is planning several events. Dr Anil Bansal said heart attacks are a preventable disease.
Addressing nutrition essentials, Nafeesa Ahmed mentioned that diabetes could be a significant cause of concern that people need to address. "The underlying disease could be a forerunner to serious cardiovascular diseases," she explained.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com


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