The Amrita Hospital organized the “Pause Parkinson’s" awareness event, to observe World Parkinson’s Month, under the Rotary CARES initiative at the hospital. Under the theme “Understanding. Awareness. Action." The program featured many healthcare experts as well as some of the world’s leading Rotary members in order to foster awareness and community involvement on the subject of Parkinson’s Disease.
The academic portion of the program began with an opening address from Dr. Sanjay Pandey, who discussed some of the early signs/symptoms associated with Parkinson's: especially motor/non-motor signs & symptoms, and the importance of recognizing them early for early diagnosis and early intervention (which will ultimately lead to an improved overall quality of life).
The Rotary clubs involved in the collaborative event included; RC Faridabad Amrita, RC Delhi Millennium, RC Delhi Midwest, RC Delhi Compassion & Hope, and RC Delhi Restoring Smiles. The initiative was supported by both Rotary Midwest Trust and the Rotary Restoring Smiles Foundation, in partnership with Amrita Hospital.
The third part of our program consisted of a presentation by an expert speaker, Dr. Anand Balasubramanian, on cutting-edge approaches to treating Parkinson’s disease. In his talk, he described many ways to treat people with Parkinson’s using different types of therapies, including those that utilize devices (deep brain stimulation) and drugs (advanced pharmacological agents).
Next, we had a Panel Discussion with Drs. Amit Agarwal and Deepak Yadav titled "Myths of Parkinson's Disease." They discussed some of the common misconceptions regarding Parkinson’s disease–that it is simply a “tremor” disorder, that it affects only older people and that it cannot be successfully treated. The presenters expressed that it is important to understand that while the signs/symptoms of Parkinson's may vary from person to person, it is a chronic, treatable neurological disorder that can be effectively managed through appropriate care.
The Rotary clubs involved in the collaborative event included; RC Faridabad Amrita, RC Delhi Millennium, RC Delhi Midwest, RC Delhi Compassion & Hope, and RC Delhi Restoring Smiles. The initiative was supported by both Rotary Midwest Trust and the Rotary Restoring Smiles Foundation, in partnership with Amrita Hospital.
Many of our members from Rotary were actively engaged with the clinicians and with one another, allowing for productive discussions between the medical experts and the community. This program successfully communicated the importance of early detection, awareness and a comprehensive strategy for managing Parkinson’s Disease.
Amrita Hospital is committed to supporting the health of our community via program initiatives such as Pause for Parkinson’s by continuing to provide awareness, education and patient-centered care.
