By Ziaulla Nomani, Muallim Magazine,
On the Eve of World heart day, which is in the month of September, we intend to look as to why doctors who fix heart problems are often at the risk of becoming victims of heart attack.
Time and again we have come across the news in mainstream newspapers that the heads of the cardiac departments have died due to heart attack itself. Case in point, Christiaan Barnard, who is considered to be the Pioneering heart surgeon and who performed the world’s first human heart transplant in 1967, died due to heart attack.
Dr Nitu Mandke, an eminent city cardiac surgeon died at the Hinduja Hospital in the year 2003 following a severe heart attack.
A Chennai Based Surgeon admits that a couple of his cardiac surgeon friends died in their 40s because of coronary heart disease.
“Stress, is taking toll on surgeons who are required to work long and odd hours in performing life saving operations, researching and writing about the advancement in the respective field about the need and precautions for the betterment of the general public, etc” maintained Mumbai based renowned Cardiac Surgeon, Dr. Zainul Abedin Humdulay, who is a consulting Cardiothoracic surgeon in Mumbai’s reputed Lilavati Hospital, Breach Candy Hospital and Wockhardt Hospital.
Dr.Hamdulay, who heads Dr.Hamdulay’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre in Mumbai states that today doctors often deal with life and death situations and this puts more pressure.
In regards to the precautionary measures Dr.Hamdulay says it is essential for these surgeons to practice what they preach to their patients when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle.
He says that his team has maintained patience’s health education program, which can be read on his website for keeping the heart safe and healthy.
(Dr.Hamdulay is founder of Good Health Concept, Cardiac Rehab Centre and Hamdulay Heart Foundation)