Could we use MOUTHSHUT.COM as launching pad for creating
a Heart Patient’s Association (HPA) in India ?

INTRODUCTION :
In India, several thousands of people suffer from coronary
heart disease (CHD). It is a matter of great concern that
many CHD cases have been reported even in the age group of
30 to 35 years.

Conventional(Surgical) remedies are quite expensive and
sometimes beyond the reach of many common people. As for
example, an angiograph may cost anything between Rs.12,000/-
to 25,000/-, an angioplasty between Rs.50,000/- to
1,50,000/- and a bypass surgery between Rs.50,000/- to
2,50,000/- depending on the type of facilities provided.
Whereas an angioplasty done correctly may give a warranty
of 2 months to 2 years, a bypass surgery may give a likely
warranty of 2 to 6 years at the best and rest depends on
the patient’s capability of his lifestyle management.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS :
1. An interactive media or the basic platform for
communication (Mouthshut.com could be the platform).

2. Necessary financial support to make a beginning.
For the financial part, existing charitable foundations may
be approached once the requirement and necessary support for
HPA has been established.

OBJECTIVES OF HPA (India):
1. Educating people on different aspects of CHD(coronary
heart disease) and their control.

2. Creating awareness on the advantages of yoga,safe
physical exercises(depending on the patient’s condition),
diet/calorie intake control or in short teaching different
TLC (Therapeutic Life-style Changes) techniques.

3. Creating a panel of Heart Specialists/Surgeons for giving
free advice.

4. Interacting with patients experimenting with different
naturopathic cure techniques and natural ways and means of
controlling blood chemistry ( mainly the lipid profile) so
that further arterial damages can be prevented.

5. Discussing advantages and disadvantages of different
surgical procedures and helping patient’s to take the right
decision.

6. Helping the most deserving candidates to the extent
feasible financially or otherwise.

7. Increasing the confidence level of patients and removing
the ’Fear Psychosis’ prevalent amongst most of them.

8. Prevention is always better than cure : Campaign the
methodologies for the same. On many occasions, CHD patients
come to the hospital at the last stage when doctors cannot
do anything to revive the patient.

P.S. To know more about CHD, readers may please also see
’’Coronary Heart Disease’’ review written in Health Issues
Category under ’Knowing more about Diseases/Illness’ on
24th. of June, 2003.