P.D Hinduja Hospital MRC proposes Mumbai’s First ‘No Smoking Street’
Mumbai, 30th May, 2019: P. D. Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre announced the launch of a first of its kind initiative in the city- Mumbai's first 'No Smoking Street'. The hospital proposes targeting the 1.8 km stretch on Swatantrya Veer Savarkar Marg between the Kaapad Bazaar Junction and Chaityabhoomi that consists of a hospital, school, a religious institution, parks and playgrounds in a bid to protect the schoolchildren, patients and senior citizens that frequent this stretch of road.
According to WHO, more than 10 million people die every year due to tobacco related illnesses. Currently, India is home to 12% of the world's smokers. The ban on smoking in public places in 2008 has led to an increased number of people smoking tobacco on the streets, placing non-smoking citizens in the vicinity at risk of inhaling passive smoke. With an aim to protect vulnerable citizens from the harmful effects of smoking, P.D. Hinduja Hospital will be kick starting this unique drive on 30th May in the presence of Mayor of Mumbai, Vishwanath Mahadeshwar. The drive will be focusing on deploying special representatives who will be responsible for educating citizens on the harmful impact of smoking and will also alert smokers on the street through a special siren. As part of the initiative, citizens will also be invited to sign a petition in support of Mumbai's first 'No Smoking Street'.
Mr. Gautam Khanna, CEO, P.D. Hinduja Hospital & MRC said, “We are extremely delighted to spearhead this initiative that calls for Mumbai's first 'No Smoking Street'. With the ban on smoking in public places, we are seeing more people smoking on the streets, this impacts non-smokers in the vicinity as well. We have never had a 'No Smoking Street' in the city and since Swatantrya Veer Savarkar Marg (Cadell Road) consists of a hospital, school, a religious institution as well as parks and playgrounds, we wanted to launch this initiative in the interest of vulnerable citizens who frequent the road and are passively being exposed to the harmful effects of smoking. We would also like to encourage citizens of Mumbai to get involved by signing the petition and having a say in creating a healthy environment for themselves. For us, this is a big step towards being a precursor for change and mitigating the harmful effects of tobacco use in the city and we hope to drive more such initiatives in the future as well.”
This year, the global theme for World No Tobacco Day focuses on tobacco and lung health, where the focus is on tobacco use and its grave effects on lung health. Of the 4,800 chemicals used in tobacco, 69 are known to cause cancer. Smoking also damages the lining of your arteries, leading to a build-up of fatty material that narrows the arteries causing angina, heart attack or stroke. Despite, the harmful effects of tobacco being well documented, the city has only seen a rise in tobacco usage. This is an attempt by P.D. Hinduja Hospital to help reduce tobacco usage in the city and help protect vulnerable citizens from the harmful effects of passive smoking
About P.D Hinduja Hospital & MRC
P.D. Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Center, which started off as a clinic in 1951,is today ranked as one of the leading Multi-Specialty tertiary care hospital in the country. For over six decades, this institute has worked to ensure that world-class healthcare delivery is provided to all. The hospital has always been an early adopter of technology in delivery of care; being amongst the first few hospitals in the country to have Gama Knife technology, Digital Broadband MRI with ambient themes, True Beam Linear Accelerator and more. The hospital has on-board some of the best nationally and internationally recognized doctors. Quality care being the focus, it was amongst the early few hospitals that has been accredited and certified by NABH, CAP, and ISO. P.D. Hinduja Hospital was also one of the pioneers in its space to launch Care@Home and Short Stay Service in 2007 and 2008 respectively. It continues to partner with leading International Institutes, latest being an arrangement with The Division of AIDS (NIAID, NIH), U.S.A, to establish a center of excellence for infectious disease research in India. For its contribution to quality healthcare delivery, the hospital has also been bestowed with Best Multi-Specialty Hospital awards by different industry bodies. In line with one of its guiding principles “Work to Give”, the hospital runs the Serve with Passion rural health programme, under which free healthcare services are provided to the tribal areas in Maharashtra and Dadra Nagar Haveli.
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