A union health report released on Wednesday shed light on the disastrous state of health conditions in Kerala, and needles to say, the stats were scary enough. It stated that 37% of the population in the state suffers from hypertension. Political elites often get vocal when it comes to boasting about the illiteracy of the state but the same lots are schtum when it comes to discussing the hypertension cases affecting Kerala. People in the Pathanamthitta district have the highest blood pressure in Kerala which is 46.2 per cent while Malappuram is the lowest with 26.7 per cent. Thrissur is leading in diagnosis with 62 per cent. The states of Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh also have high rates of hypertension. The study was conducted on 1.7 million people above the age of 18 in the country.

Statistics show that nine out of ten people with high blood pressure (HBP) ignore the disease. This study indicates the need to increase awareness of the importance of diagnosis, control and treatment. Blood pressure rate should be checked once a month with the help of the nearest doctor and medicines should be taken according to the disease condition. Along with this, reduce the amount of salt in the food and exercise to reduce obesity. According to experts, these diseases are not something to easily ignore as trivial, as death rates are spiking across the country mostly due to hypertension. Currently, high blood pressure is the underlying cause of sixteen per cent of deaths.

A report by the Union Health Ministry explains that twelve to sixteen lakh people die every year due to this in India and by 2035, it may reach up to twenty lakh. Just some days before, union minister Mansukh Laxmanbhai Mandaviya asked people who were earlier seriously affected by COVID-19 to not overexert into any exercise, as shocking deaths of youngsters and many people put the government authorities in a fix. Mandaviya asked such people earlier affected by COVID-19 to not indulge in serious exercise or work at least for two years. It was just a week before that 10 people who participated in the Garba function suddenly collapsed to death and this incident proved the catalyst for the government to order a sudden health report.

This is according to the findings of a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research. Abstain from exertion, strenuous running, vigorous exercise, etc. After Covid, the number of people who fell down and died in Kerala also increased. High blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and many such killer diseases are seeping into the southern state of Kerala. Kerala, which was once crowned as the exemplar in health service is now battered with a slew of diseases hitting every season and the department is in shambles, not able to protect its citizens. Major changes in lifestyle including food habits are doubted as the reason for the rise in such killer diseases.

Fast food culture has taken over Kerala in a swift. Food vloggers and reviewers on Instagram and other social media pages are making people visit nearby food delicacies that have hitherto gone unnoticed. The insane addiction to Arabian dishes including Shawarma is also tormenting the erstwhile eatery habits of Kerala.

Engaging in simple exercise and proper medical checkups will do the trick to obliterate such concerns. However, the people of Kerala have so far nurtured a distaste for routine check-ups but find comfort in opting out of simple exercises. Some people meanwhile indulge in YouTube for basic exercise and it is disastrous because these exercises may be arduous ones not easily recognisable by someone new to such exercises. The state government should take the Union Health Ministry report seriously.