World No Tobacco Day, Quit today

“Just one puff won’t make a difference”..

“After all you must try everything once at least”..

“Come on don’t be a loser”..

Haven’t we heard these lines amongst young adults, especially during college days?
It’s the thrill to try something new, copy a friend or peer pressure which makes them try their first cigarette. Little do they realise that many times a onetime thing turns into a habit and sometimes an addiction. Surprisingly most people start having their first tryst with tobacco in their late teens. The average age of initiation of tobacco use in India is 19 years and three months.

World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed around the world every year on May 31. It is intended to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption around the globe. Across the world various events are conducted to raise the awareness about the hazardous affects of tobacco consumption. Tobacco currently leads to nearly 6 million deaths each year worldwide, including 600,000 of passive smokers – exposed to second-hand smoke. Tobacco includes not only cigarettes but also gutka, hookah and e-cigarettes.

This year on World No Tobacco Day World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling on all countries to get ready for plain packaging of tobacco products. It means to prohibit the use of logos, colours, brand images or promotional information on the packaging. The brand name and the product name can be displayed but only in a standard colour and font size. This reduces the overall attractiveness of the product.

The estimated number of tobacco users in India is 27.5 crore, with 16.37 crore users of smokeless tobacco, 6.9 crore only smokers and 4.23 crore users of both smoking and smokeless tobacco. A number of organisations, including the Indian Medical Association, have appealed to the Delhi government to observe a dry tobacco day on May 31 by completely banning sale of all tobacco products on that day.

All smokers are aware that smoking is bad for their health but they often downplay the gravity of the issue.

Some benefits of quitting smoking:

• Immediately after quitting smoking, heart rate and blood pressure, which is abnormally high while smoking, begin to return to normal.
• Within a few hours, the level of carbon monoxide, which reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen, begins to decline.
• The workload on the heart is decreased and cardiac function is improved.
• Food tastes better, and your sense of smell returns to normal.
• Within several months of quitting, you experience significant improvements in lung function.
• In one year, your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke is halved.
• In five years, many kinds of cancer, including lung, larynx, mouth, stomach, cervix, bladder, show decline in risk, and that decline approaches the risk of someone who has never smoked.
• Within 10 to 15 years, risk of lung disease, including bronchitis and emphysema, are decreased.
• Conditions such as cataracts, macular degeneration, thyroid conditions, hearing loss, dementia, and osteoporosis are positively affected.
• Nerve endings in the mouth and nose begin to regenerate, improving taste and smell.
• Medications may work better, enabling some to be taken in decreased doses.
• You’ll have decreased risk for impotence and infertility.
• Years will be added to your life: people who quit smoking, regardless of their age, are less likely than those who continue to smoke to die from smoking-related illness.

We have given you enough reasons to quit smoking, haven’t we?
So if you have been thinking of quitting, today is the day. There are many NGOs and counselling centres available to deal with the withdrawal symptoms of smoking. It’s the best decision for yourself and your family, Quit today.

It was a routine patient visit when doctors at KDAH met Arnesh Kumar last December. The patient from Patna had approached our team with complains of severe abdominal pain, weight loss and weakness. He had been unwell for the past six months and was consulting a doctor in Patna. The preliminary tests were already conducted and he was diagnosed a huge malignant tumour in his left kidney. The doctors in Patna refused to operate him as it was a complex surgery to undertake.

Dr TB Yuvaraja, the head of robotic surgery and consultant uro-oncologist and his team successfully operated on the patient on 29th December 2015. It is only now that we have realised that the team at KDAH created a world record of removing the largest tumour (6.9kg) from a patient’s kidney. The earlier record was for 5.018kg. We are in the process of applying for a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. It is a great achievement for Dr. Yuvaraja’s team and we are looking forward for KDAH’s name in the coveted book of records soon.

At times laparoscopy is conducted for tumours but owing to the size it wasn’t possible in this case. The doctors opted for a open surgery. It was a major surgery wherein the doctors blocked the artery to avoid excess bleeding. The diseased kidney had to be removed.

Apart from Guinness Book of World Records KDAH is also planning to send the details of this accomplishment to international and national medical journals. Colleagues from the medical fraternity have also commented on this feat of KDAH. Dr Sujata Patwardhan, head of the department of urology at KEM Hospital, said, “I am not aware about such a big tumour ever being removed.”

We are glad that our team of experts could be of immense help to the patient in his crucial time. Such challenging cases give doctors an opportunity to explore their potential completely. We look forward to serve all patients with utmost care and expertise always.

“Slip disc at the age of 30 …..are you serious ?”

Have you heard this from your friends or colleagues?
It is sad but true that in today’s day and age young adults are falling prey to many diseases at an early age. One of the main reasons for this is our

sedentary lifestyle as compared to older generations.

In the fast paced world where we live; laptops and computers are indispensable from our lives. You may be at office, a student working for a project, or using the laptop for leisure . But are you maintaining a correct posture? Is your chair supporting your back good enough? Do you get tired at the end of 4-5 hours? Ask yourself these questions , they are really important – we tell you why.

Ergonomics is the process of designing or arranging workplaces, products and systems so that they fit the people who use them. An ergonomically correct office work station will help you avoid fatigue and discomfort – isn’t that every working person’s dream!

Studies claim a bad posture at work not only causes back and shoulder pain but on a long term causes improper digestion, increased stress levels and headaches too. Some simple yet crucial changes in your work posture can help your joints and muscles stay fit .

Here are some simple tips to make working hours sail smoothly :

• Choose a chair that supports your spinal curve. Adjust the height of your chair to suit you.
• Always ensure that your arms are supported at all times. The lack of this will strain your neck and shoulder muscles.
• Make sure your head is positioned comfortably above the neck support, it should not strain forward while working.
• No slouching please. Slouching puts more pressure on the discs and vertebrae of your back. Move your chair as close to your work as possible to avoid leaning and reaching. Make sure to “scoot” your chair in every time you sit down.
• The monitor should be at one arms distance from you with the top no higher than the eye level. The keyboard should be directly in front of the monitor so you don’t have to frequently turn your head and neck.
• The keyboard and the mouse should be close enough to prevent excessive reaching which strains the shoulders and arms.
• The feet should not be dangling when you are seated. If your feet don’t comfortably reach the floor use a footrest or lower the keyboard and chair.
• Multitasking with your phone and computer? Please avoid talking on the phone by balancing it between the shoulder and neck.
• Take steps to control screen glare and make sure that the monitor is not placed in front of a window or a bright background.
• Make it a habit to rest your eyes periodically for several seconds by looking at objects at a distance to give your eyes a break.

So are you ready to implement these minor changes at your workstation? Trust us, the effort is worth every bit.

‘You are just back from a long walk, grocery shopping or a strenuous workout and sweating profusely’…sounds familiar?

What is your first reflex when you enter home….?

Do you find yourself reaching out for a glass of Ice tea, packaged fruit juice, aerated beverages or powdered energy drinks?

Although irresistible and very tempting… these thirst quenchers can do more harm than good to the human body.

Pre-mixed ice teas are extremely high in refined sugar – and have nearly zero nutritive value. Why not make some fresh ice-tea at home.

Contrary to popular beliefs, fruit juices are not healthy at all. In fact the packaged varieties contain more calories than your fizzy drinks. And yes even homemade juices have high sugar content. The high levels of fructose (fruit sugar) in the body can increase your triglycerides and in turn lead to cardiovascular diseases. Its best to have whole fruits as they are full of fibre and other nutrients.

All kinds of fizzy drinks and colas are an absolute no- be it summer or any other season. They are loaded with calories and added sugar. Even the diet varieties are not good. Many youngsters are addicted to these fizzy drinks. Self realisation can help in reducing the consumption of these drinks.

Like all other things in life, sugar consumed in moderation is best for you. It is important to identify that apart from tea and desserts what are the other hidden sources of sugar. Cutting down on sugar is a good option. And artificial sweeteners are best used in moderation.

Summer in general brings with it hyperacidity, bloating, heaviness, constipation, loss of salt/electrolytes and dehydration issues. So instead of aerated cold drinks natural drinks like sugarcane juice, buttermilk, coconut water, nimbu pani, kokum sherbet or bel ka sherbet are better. These natural coolants are loaded with nutrients, electrolytes and minerals.

So the next time you feel tired and lacking in energy, opt for natural drinks. It will definitely quench your thirst and rejuvenate you from within.

The results of the All India Multispeciality Hospitals Survey 2016 by Times of India are out and we are happy to be ranked the no. 1 Hospital for Western India as well as for Mumbai city. Nationally across all hospitals we have been ranked no. 4.

Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital started in 2009 as a social initiative from the Reliance Group. And since then there was no looking back. We have always strived for the best healthcare facilities for our patients. We are the only hospital in Mumbai to function with a “Full-time Specialist System”. This means around-the-clock our staff is prepared to handle any emergency situations. The 750-bed hospital has over 350 full-time specialists, 1100 Nurses and about 300 paramedics, and our family is growing.

We are thankful to our hardworking team of doctors, nurses and various other support staff who have helped us achieve this milestone. Over the years, we are glad that we have gained patient confidence to entrust their medical decisions with us. We look forward to to continue that legacy. As a hospital our endeavour is to provide quality care in a timely manner and create some happy faces.

Listing below some of the other major departments with their rankings:

• Cardio Sciences : We have been ranked no. 1 in western India. Our team of experts have performed more than 1,500 coronary angioplasties and 2,500 cardiac surgeries till date.The Cardio sciences department provides an all-inclusive programme for the management of heart diseases.
• Emergency and Trauma : Ranked no. 1 in this department we are the only private hospital in Mumbai and in Western India to have a comprehensive Level-1 Accident & Emergency Department (A&E) for patient care, training and research. The Trauma Centre is reputed to respond the fastest in times of accidents, heart attacks, paralytic strokes and such other life-threatening circumstances, thus proffering optimum chances of survival and recovery to the affected.
• NeuroSciences : Ranked no. 2 in west region our department provides cutting-edge care in neurology, neurosurgery and interventional neuroradiology. We have used 21 Penumbra Devices for NeuroIntervention Procedures in Acute Stroke patients—the largest number in India.
• Paediatrics : When it comes to child care specialization we have been ranked no. 2 in West region. We cater to specialised support for children with development problems, infectious diseases, cancer, orthopaedics and genetic disorders. Added benefits are dedicated the Paediatric ICUs (PICU) and Neonatal ICUs (NICU) for critical situations.
• Gastroenterology & Hepatology: Ranked no. 3 in west region, this department brings together the best talent in luminal gastroenterology (oesophagus, stomach and intestines) and hepatology (Liver). The Department has 3 fully equipped Endoscopy suites where high end and complex diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are performed.
• Gynaecology and Obstetrics : This department ranked no. 4 in west zone offers an extensive range of healthcare services from pregnancy to any other female reproductive healthcare problem.
• About the Rankings : The objective of this research was to arrive at a list of Top Multi-specialty Super Specialty Hospitals. The research had 3 major modules i.e. Desk Research, Factual survey & Perceptual Rating survey followed by scientifically developed analysis & ranking process.
• Analysis and Final Ranking of Hospitals : A robust approach was followed to arrive at the final rankings. The step by step process is given below: Factual Score The information collected corresponding to similar parameters as in the perceptual survey A detailed scoring system has been developed for each parameter After assigning scores to each parameter, raw scores were calculated The raw scores were weighted by their importance to arrive at weighted scores The final entity score were calculated as in the perception survey Perceptual Score Ratings on various parameters for each entities Calculating importance of various parameters to arrive at weights for each parameter ­ we use a regression model to arrive at the importance of various parameters Calculation of raw scores and weighted scores for each parameter Calculation of overall score for each hospitals using importance weightage The final score for a hospital were a weighted average of respective hospitals Perception Score and Factual Score equal weightage given to both

The survey was conducted by i3 Research Consultants (i3RC) a research and consultancy firm.