The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh has said that “wellness” is not mere absence of disease, but a much more wholesome concept or state of existence, which may sometimes not thrive despite the absence of disease or, on the contrary, may sometimes survive despite the presence of disease.
Speaking on the opening day of the 3-day “Wellness India 2017 Expo” here today, Dr Jitendra Singh observed, that in his long many years of clinical practice, he came across a number of individuals who did not have any disease but suffered from lack of physical or mental well-being which compromised their output and performance thus not allowing them to achieve the best of their potential. On the other hand, he said, there are number of instances where a patient suffering from even a life threatening disease, possesses such high levels of physical and mental well-being that he is able to contribute positively to the society, in spite of his compromised potential.
Dr Jitendra Singh appreciated the organizers of the conference for having thought of a unique theme which is not often discussed during the medical conferences. He also appreciated the Scientific Committee of the conference for having categorized the 3-day event into three different parts, namely health, biotech and organic.
Dwelling upon the healthcare challenges faced by India of 2017, Dr Jitendra Singh said, even though we can claim credit and satisfaction for having overcome the communicable diseases, but the point not to be missed is that the management of non-communicable diseases is prolonged and involves both social support as well as economic sustenance. To that extent, he said, government alone cannot do enough and therefore, other stakeholders including the social agencies and the civil society in general will have to take up the responsibility.
A country with more than 70% of population below 40 years of age, Dr Jitendra Singh said, cannot afford to allow its youth energy and youth power getting drained out through diabetes, heart disease or other metabolic diseases afflicting at a younger age. Prevention, therefore, will have to be the keynote of any successful future health strategy for the 21st century India, he added.
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