Saturday, September 21, 2013

Need to Make Work Place Tobacco Free at Regional Labour Institute, Faridabad 20.9.2013

Need to Make Work Place Tobacco Free

Today I had the opportunity to give a talk on "Need to make work place Tobacco Free" at the Indo American Chamber of Commerce organised seminar at “Occupational Safety & Health Standards in Industries” at Regional Labour Institute (Labour Court), Sector-47, Faridabad.

But why was I there? What was I doing there? I should have been in the hospital attending to my patients and operating of course increasing my bank balance! On the contrary I took a day out to attend to a seminar.

Every day I see patients in the OPD, patients come to me from all spheres – industrialists, entrepreneurs, teachers, professionals, workers. It pains me to see young people presenting with cancer and precancerous lesions. Some I operate some I have to turn down because they have reached incurable state and sadly lot of these young patients are incurable.

Young – they are in their 30’s or 40’s the age when they are having the maximum responsibilities – of family, parents, work and at a time when they are supposed to build up their career. But instead of taking responsibilities they become liabilities of the family. Why so? Because they took to a habit unknowingly because of the peer pressure or whatever may be the reason. This habit of tobacco (chewing or smoking) is now become a disease. A disease which was preventable!!

When they started they did not know what was in store for them, but when they realised that they are into a wrong habit it was late. I ask them this question did you know that tobacco was bad for your health – 60% say yes. (Most of the educated people are aware of the problem of tobacco). When I ask them did you ever try to quit your tobacco habit – invariably 70% or more of these patients have tried quitting some time in their life. But failed, failed multiple times. Failed because they did not get the right guidance at the right time. This is the pity.  
In India, smoking is completely banned in many public places and workplaces such as healthcare, educational, and government facilities and on public transport. 

It has been seen whenever we have approached factory owner to organize a tobacco awareness program, the owners feel it a waste of time! The question they ask “ how will I benefit by making my factory tobacco free”. On the contrary some of the owners encourage tobacco to make the worker work longer!

Does the management benefit by making the workplace tobacco free? Yes they do.

•       More Efficient & Productive - Tobacco decreases the productivity by slowly and gradually decreasing the efficiency of tobacco user by affecting the blood regulation and blood pressure.  
•       Less Absenteeism - It spreads of diseases like tuberculosis and other infection, chronic diseases including cardiovascular, respiratory, hypertension, cancer and hundreds of studies can corroborate this fact.
•       Low Premium on Health Insurance - Tobacco causes many diseases and hence increases the number of medical claims which affects the premium amount.
•       Low Cleaning Cost – Tobacco users spit on walls, corners, throw cigarette butts which leave stains and require frequent cleaning and painting.
•       Positive Environment – A healthy and clean environment motivates the employees, it spreads positivity. 

A single step can change the whole economy of the organisation!!

During the interactive session that followed I had the opportunity to learn lot many issues concerning workers. Issues which are probably of more immediate concern that can lead to acute loss of life or organ of the worker.  These are issues which need to be taken care because there is legal binding. No wonder tobacco is not of prime importance to the factory owner, it does not cause acute loss of life or organ. Still I would say that the role of tobacco cannot be underestimated. It is a silent killer. It affects not just the person but the people around him also. Day in and day out I see such young people whose life is devastated.

I through I CAN WIN Foundation am committed to help these young people before it is too late. I CAN WIN Foundation has launched - “Tobacco Free India” initiative to make India – Healthy, Clean, Beautiful and Liveable.

The program consists of making youths aware of the risk of tobacco and pledge not to take any form of tobacco. For tobacco addicts, the program will help in quitting through scientific evidence based methods. A book “WIN OVER TOBACCO – Made Easy” is made available to help win over the disease. The Program has two parts:
1      Be smart not to start!
2      Win over tobacco and start living!

The “I CAN WIN FOUNDATION” has been conducting programs on lifestyle modification including anti-tobacco campaign towards its mission to win over cancer. 

I am not alone I am joined by number of Cancer winners’ and young people, like Vishesh, Geetika, Mahesh, Vivek, Shruti, Sanjeev, Rajit, Shruti, Pratyush, Naresh , Ishaan,Mohit, Rishab who could see the pain. Each one of them has taken this as personal social responsibility. Would you be a part of the campaign?

We are building up the audience through our facebook.  I urge you to join our page www.facebook.com/icanwin.org like it and share it with your friends. This can be just your first step towards making our India healthy, clean, beautiful and liveable.

 Yes I know this is not enough, more has to be done, and it will be done with more people like you joining the campaign.

I thank Mr Ashish Wig for giving me an oppurtunity to present myself at the Interactive Seminar.

I am committed.

Dr Pawan Gupta
9811290152













Tuesday, September 17, 2013

I CAN WIN - Awareness Program at ABES 14.009.2013

This is the fourth consecutive year that ABES has been hosting us. This year the theme was Women and health.
The program was hosted by NSS (Lead by Mr K.P.Jayant) and Women Grievance Cell (lead by Mrs Madhu Khurana )  of ABES Engineering College, Ghaziabad.
I remember the day 4 years ago when Mrs Charu Vaish had introduced me to Dr Surendra Kansal, Director of ABES. Since then we have come a long way. Dr Kansal has got involved in the activities of I CAN WIN full heartedly and so has the management of ABES who have extended their support whole heartedly at all times.
I reached ABES around 1:45 pm and was joined by Dr. Rudra and Dr Geeta at the parking lot. After a sumptuous lunch we proceeded to the auditorium.
The program started on time Chaired by Sh. Ved Prakash Goel, Chairman, ABES Engineeing College, Ghaziabad
Mr Suresh Prakash in his usual tone introduced I CAN WIN. The whole auditorium reverberated by the echo of I CAN WIN. He introduced the cancer winners present – Mr Dinesh Popli, Mrs Madhu Mahajan and Mrs Puspha Goel
I gave my presentation in very brief and was instructed beforehand not to ask questions to the audience. Besides the usual stuff on what is cancer and its prevention, I introduced our page www.facebook.com/icanwin.org to the student and urged them to join the same. I took this opportunity to introduce Mr Vivek Mittal. The young cancer winner who suffered with locally advanced Cancer and has been treated. The social stigma in his work place that he had to go through and why did he loose his job? Is cancer such a disease. Is it not time that we change the way this disease is looked at. I hope we will be able to bring the change and rehabilitate young man and other cancer winners like you. The treatment of cancer needs something more than medicine. Winning cancer is just not surviving the disease, it is more than that!! Vivek I am sure I CAN WIN will learn from your life story and will be able to help more people.
Dr Geeta and Dr Rudra presented on breast, cervix and oral cancer.
Mr Narendra Bansal spoke on how to maintain lifestyle naturally without medicine and remain healthy forever. The importance of breath, food and exercise for a healthy living was emphasised by him.
Mr Rajendra Tyagi, Municipal counsellor extended is full support to I CAN WIN and gave a very short and highly motivating presentation. 

An on the spot written quiz on Tobacco and cancer was conducted for the particpants of the workshop

I thank the management and all the participants of ABES for taking out time for the workshop. i also thank the cancer winners' for giving the message to all the participants - "BE CAREFUL NOT FEARFUL". Together we can win over cancer.

Dr Pawan Gupta
Nationl President - I CAN WIN Foundation



































Thursday, September 12, 2013

I CAN WIN Workshop at Kanha Makhan Public School, Mathura 7.9.2013

I rushed from Gyan Deep School to KANHA MAKHAN PUBLIC SCHOOL (Saraswati Kund, Masani, Mathura Ph.:+91565-3294609,3294206,2530879) Mr Maheswari gave me a lift in his car, thankfully, otherwise there was all chances that I would have got lost in the narrow lanes of Mathura.

Ms Juhi Agarwal, primary teacher in the school, welcomed me, Mr K.G.Maheswari and Mr Ajay Kumar and his wife. It was because of Ms Juhi that I was at Kanha Makaan School.

The program was arranged for Senior Class Students and some students. The whole auditorium was full.

Mr Pankaj Agarwal (pankajagarwal493@gmail.com), introduced me and others.

I introduced both Mr Maheswari and Mr Ajay the cancer winners. They shared their experiences.
The message for the young was that "the way we live determines the way we die and when we die". The workshop emphasised and promoted a healthy lifestyle and to avoid tobacco.

Interestingly most of the students were on facebook but had no time for exercise. (recently I also found this change in me since I have started actively on facebook I find less time for exercise). So there has to be a way out.

Another important message that I got was that lot of students were affected by second hand tobacco, because of elders in the family taking spit tobacco. This was of concern.

The Students interacted and asked lot of questions.

Mr Mukesh Choudhury (09412485654, vini44jat@gmail.com) the Physical Trainer of the school gave a very intimidating talk to the student about tobacco and exercise. The zeal and pain was evident and it was no doubt that he was disturbed by the trend of the student going for tobacco.

Overall the interaction with the students was interesting.

I thank Ms Juhi for the workshop and the management of the School for inviting me.

On my way out I met the Chairman of the School, Mr Anil and the Principal, Mr Anil who escorted me to the car.  






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