URBAN VAASTU - Building modern India Magazine - July 2015

In this issue

Tackling the health crisis

There is an epidemic out there in Indian cities, but unlike epidemics of the past, this is not related to a communicable disease. Worryingly, the cardiovascular disease epidemic that is
raging across urban India is increasingly attacking the young, especially those at the peak of
their productive lives – men in their 20s, 30s and 40s, professionals who’ve acquired the best
of qualifications and are working in leading corporates.
High-stress levels, irregular work hours, sedentary lifestyles, improper food habits including
consumption of junk food, excessive smoking and drinking and lack of exercise are factors that
are seeing an increasing number of Indians succumb to cardiovascular diseases. Sadly, for a
country that has for centuries nurtured and encouraged stress-busting concepts including yoga
and meditation, it is a travesty that an increasing number of young people are becoming victims
to these ailments.
But even as an increasing number of Indians are succumbing to lifestyle diseases, the country is emerging as a major hub for medical
tourism, with thousands of patients from around the globe seeking remedies for a range of ailments. Foreigners are seeking treatment
for several diseases, getting organ transplants done and also routine surgeries and procedures because of the excellent quality of tertiary
healthcare in India and the presence of an army of skilled doctors and medical professionals.

Our cover story focuses on India’s dynamic healthcare sector, which has made great strides in recent years.