Acting and cooking workshops, competitions, and stand-up act form the day’s highlights
AMN / New Delhi
The fourth day of Heart Care Foundation of India’s (HCFI) flagship event, the 25th MNTL Perfect Health Mela, was marked by some interesting and insightful events. Students from over 3600 schools and colleges participated in the continuing line up of competitions including western dance, nukkadnatak, show and tell, and yoga, among others. The Indian classical dance competition called Heritage saw them prove their mettle in Kathak. The theme of the Silver Jubilee edition of the Mela this year is ‘Affordable Healthcare’ and Dr Tusker, the friendly elephant, is the mascot for the event.
NGO Sacchi Saheli organized another session of their workshop on Good touch and Bad touch and menstrual hygiene. Ms Nita Mehta, renowned chef and nutritionist conducted a workshop on cooking and eating healthy. Actor Inderpal Singh’s acting workshop was attended by many enthusiasts. Towards the evening, there was a conclave on Indoor Pollution and Safeand Healthy Homes and another one on Non-communicableDiseases and Harm Reduction. The HCFI has undertaken a campaign against indoor pollution and panelists debated on ways to counter this issue. The second conclave focused on preventing diseases by addressing avoidable risk factors.
Speaking on the day’s events, Padma Shri Awardee, Dr KK Aggarwal, President, HCFI, said, “Living in a smoky and polluted atmosphere is a big risk factor for lifestyle diseases. It is imperative to address avoidable habits including smoking and indoor air pollution or atleast indulge in harm reduction. Outdoor air quality can be improved through car pooling, using public transport, walking and cycling for shorter distances. People must also quit smoking or shift to nicotine replacement therapies and electronic cigarettes.The Mela is a medium to create awareness on all these aspects and I am happy to see participation by a large number of people, including students.”
Adding his views, Mr Rahul Gupta, Lawyer, Supreme Court of India, said, “Harm reduction is applicable to all aspects of our life – from avoiding substance abuse to diet and weight loss. Harm reduction revolves around the fact that a person may be unwilling or averse to the idea of quitting risky health behaviors and therefore adopts an alternative strategy. The idea is to encourage such individuals to reduce the associated harm rather than pressurizing them to abide by total abstinence.The emphasis here is not on the use itself, but on the negative outcomes of use.”
Another pertinent issue discussed during the day was that of reducing indoor pollution and ensuring that homes are safe and healthy. Giving his views on the topic, Mr J K Jain, Chairman, DASNAC, said, “Air pollution has recurrently been a bone of contention in some of the major cities of India. It is not present only outside our homes but inside as well. Safe and healthy breathing conditions are an absolute must and each one of us can be the drivers of this change. Apart from governmental action on this front, we must ensure that we take preventive action to reduce pollution.”
Adding her thoughts, Ms Pinky Anand, Additional Solicitor General of India, said, “It gives me immense pleasure to be a part of the Mela again today. We have witnessed some interesting and informative discussions on topics such as indoor air pollution. Not many of us are aware that the actual silent killer resides in our homes. I commend HCFI’s efforts and hope that everyone present here will take away something as a learning.”
The conclaves were followed by a hilarious performance by renowned stand-up artist Parvinder Singh, who had the audience in splits. Parvinder’s style of comedy is very raw. He extracted jokes from day-to-day observations, life experiences and stereotypes aroundhim – with a special focus on health to complement the theme of the Mela. The act was enjoyed by one and all present.
The Perfect Health Mela takes its curtain call on the 27th of October 2018. Attendees can look forward to a plethora of events on the finale day, with the highlight being the HCFI CSR Awards, which will be conducted for the first time ever. Art mela, Qawwali performances, and a set of various other awards will add to the excitement.
In its 25thedition, the Mela is being organized in association with MTNL, NDMC, and other central and Delhi state government departments.Started in 1993, the Perfect Health Mela caters to people from all age groups and all walks of life. It showcases activities across categories such as health education seminars, check-ups, entertainment programmes, lifestyle exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and competitions. The Mela is attended by over 200 organizations each year including those from the state and central government, PSUs, and leading corporates. Entry to the Mela is free for all.