KMC Hospital hosts Women on Walk (WoW) walkathon for Heart Health

Mangaluru: KMC Hospital, Mangalore held a 2 km Women On Walk (WoW) for Healthy Heart, an initiative to promote women’s heart health.

The walkathon was flagged off at 6:30 am on 17 Sep 2023 by Geetha D Kulkarni, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Traffic Sub-Division, Mangalore; Dr Ashita Uppoor, Dean, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mangalore and Dr Priyanka Shekar, Medical Officer, State Bank of India were Guests of Honour for the walkathon.

Varsha, a National level athlete, was the torch bearer who led the walkathon flagged off at KMC Hospital, Dr B R Ambedkar Circle to Marena Sports Complex, Kaprigudda. The walkathon witnessed more than 1,000 participants who walked with a lot of zeal.

The walkathon was a part of observing the upcoming World Heart Day to raise awareness about heart health and to spread the message that women’s heart health is vital for her and her family since it is a tendency that women’s heart health is often neglected. Scores of women particularly the young and middle-aged participated in the walkathon. The dress theme for the Women On Walk (WoW) for Heart Health was red.

Dr Narasimha Pai, Head of Department, Cardiology, KMC Hospital, Mangalore spoke about the importance of World Heart Day.

Saghir Siddiqui, Regional Chief Operating Officer, KMC Hospital, Mangalore; Dr Dilip G Naik, Pro VC, MAHE, Mangalore campus, and Dr B Unnikrishnan, Dean, KMC Mangalore, Dr Padmanabha Kamath, Dr M N Bhat, Dr Rajesh Pai Interventional Cardiologists, Dr Maneesh Rai, Cardiac Electrophysiologist, Dr Madhav Kamath and Dr Suraj Pai Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon, Dr Harish Raghavan and Dr Iresh Shetty, Heart Surgeons KMC Hospital Mangalore attended the event along with Doctors, head of departments, hospital management and staff who participated in large numbers.

Many institutions, corporates, students from colleges and voluntary organisations took part in this heart health awareness initiative. In the valedictory function after the walkathon, various categories of prizes were given for the heartbeat quiz, Best Group/Institution participation, Most Enthusiastic participant, Best Slogan and Best Placard. Mrs Mangalore fame Soujanya Hegde compered the program.

World Heart Day is observed and celebrated annually on Sep 29, for increasing awareness of cardiovascular diseases and how to control them to negate their global impact. The month-long campaign aims to create awareness among the public on the causes, symptoms, health risks, and other factors related to heart disease and to educate the public on the right way to tackle heart disease.