On National Vascular Day, uniting 26 cities across India, Health Minister MoS. Prof. S.P Singh Baghel, Flags Off the Walkathon with a Pledge – Amputation FREE India!

On National Vascular Day, uniting 26 cities across India, Health Minister MoS. Prof. S.P Singh Baghel, Flags Off the Walkathon with a Pledge – Amputation FREE India!

He was joined by Guests of Honour – Dr. Kiran Bedi-Former Lt. Governor Puducherry; Sh. Manoj Tiwari & Sh. Ravi Kishan Shukla-Members of Parliament; Lt. Gen Daljit Singh, AVSM, VSM, PHS Director General Armed Forces Medical Services; Surg Vice Adm Arti Sarin, VSM Director General Of Medical Services (Navy) and Lt. Gen A K Jindal, AVSM, YSM, Commandant, Army Hospital (R&R).

New Delhi, August 2023: Vascular Society of India, founded on 6th August 1994 in Chennai, today, celebrated the National Vascular Day across the nation. On this occasion, a walkathon was organised in 26 cities across India to spread awareness by a message of ‘Walk a Mile to Live with a Smile’ with a theme – Amputation FREE India. The Walkathon started from Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, encircled the India Gate and reached back at the National Stadium.

Following the vision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a Fit India, the VSI organised the WALKATHON with an aim to bring the national focus on promoting healthcare, awareness, and timely interventions to prevent conditions that could lead to lower limb amputations (diabetes, smoking, hypertension and high cholesterol).

Vascular Society of India’s Achievements!

  • The World Federation of Vascular Societies (of which VSI is a member) stands with our fellow medical specialists, surgeons, interventionalists, nurses and allied health professionals who work for the sanctity and preservation of human life.
  • VSI has presence and members pan India and today the total strength is over 700 members, which makes it one of the biggest Chapter in the world.
  • VSI members ever since its inception are continuously working towards saving the legs of patients to prevent amputation.
  • VSI today is one of the most sought-after body in the Health Industry.

Dr. Tapish Sahu, Secretary, Vascular Society of India said, “Our Mission is to Promote Healthier Communities through comprehensive Vascular Health Care Delivery System resulting in Amputation FREE India. We are very encouraged to see the pan India response. Today on the National Vascular Day, Walkathon has taken place simultaneously in 26 cities across the nation, where over 8,000 enthusiastic participants joined with great fervour.” Other noted Vascular surgeons present on this occasion to lend their support to the initiative were Dr VS Bedi, Dr Col. Kumud Rai, Dr Rajiv Parakh, Dr Tarun Grover, Dr Sandeep Agarwal, Dr Ajay Yadav, Dr Ravul Jindal and Dr Apurva Srivastava (Treasurer, VSI)

This national drive becomes more relevant in today’s times, when India is becoming the diabetic capital of the world. More and more population is at the risk of preventable amputations because of unhealthy lifestyle and diet. This is an effort to create nationwide awareness, so that these amputations can be prevented by lifestyle changes, and if at all the need arises, treatment can be done early, thus preserving their quality of life.

Vascular Day Walkathon in 26 Cities

  • UT: Delhi
  • J&K: Jammu
  • UT: Chandigarh
  • Rajasthan: Jaipur
  • Uttrakhand: Dehradun
  • Karnataka: Bangalore; Mysore
  • Telengana: Hyderabad
  • Andhra Pradesh: Vishakhapatnam (Vizag)
  • Gujarat: Ahmedabad Surat, Baroda, Rajkot
  • Kerala: Trivandrum; Kochi Calicut (Kozhikode)
  • Maharashtra: Mumbai; Nashik, Pune, Nagpur
  • Tamil Nadu: Chennai; Madurai; Trichy; Vellore
  • West Bengal: Kolkata
  • Uttar Pradesh: Lucknow

Vascular Society of India

Vision

  • Embrace the latest technology to achieve acceptable standards of complete well-being among patients with vascular ailments.

Objectives

  • Spread awareness of Vascular Surgeons and Vascular Diseases: One of the major challenges ahead is to develop awareness among healthcare providers and also the general population.

Common symptoms of vascular diseases are:

  • Leg swelling
  • Sudden occurrence of pain/discolouration in legs
  • Non healing wounds
  • Gangrene
  • Visible, dilated veins

If you have any of the above symptoms, consult your nearest Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon at the earliest. They know your blood vessels the best and provide the most comprehensive care for your limbs.

For details, please visit https://vascularsocietyofindia.com/

Khyati Mehta- The First Woman Amputee To Climb Kalsubai Peak in Maharashtra

Khyati Mehta- The First Woman Amputee To Climb Kalsubai Peak in Maharashtra

Mumbai: Khyati Mehta, a 39-year-old amputee is the first woman to climb the Kalsubai peak with a prosthetic leg. Kalsubai is the highest peak in Maharashtra at 5,400 ft and a 6.6 km long trek that has a moderately hard difficulty level. This feat which was performed on 26th January 2022 on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day of India to celebrate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, holds a record title under India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records, 2023.

Born with 60% disabilities including bilateral flexion contracture & bilateral varus legs, Khyati has scaled the Surkandadevi Temple trek which is a steep 3 km trek at 9000 ft in Uttarakhand. In the past, she has trekked the 5,200 ft Vaishanavdevi peak. Being modest about her achievements, Khyati says, “I am still a trekker but wish to be a mountaineer someday and reach for a more technical climbing that will help me scale unexplored summits.”

Khyati is a passionate traveller who has travelled to more than 20 countries of the world. With her disabilities and a prosthetic foot, she did sky diving in New York, trekked Taman Negara Forest in Malaysia, travelled to North Cape Norway, scuba dived at Langkawi, Malaysia and Andaman, paraglided at Bir Biling, Palampur, and did white water river rafting at the highest altitude of Ladakh. Little wonder that she is entrepreneuring as a Travel & Visa Consultant and has her travel agency in Mumbai.

Khyati has also gained the reputation of one of the Fastest Walking Marathoners with her participation in more than 20 marathons. When asked what challenges an amputee faces during the treks, marathons, and similar adventures, Khyati says “Every 30 mins or 1 hour, I have to remove my prosthetic limb and give a few minutes to relax my muscles and the stump. I often get blisters on the stump, develop bursitis on my hips or endure severe back pain. During the Kalsubai trek, there were around 6 steeply inclined ladders with wide railings. My deformed hands cannot extend to hold the railings, at the same time, my hands don’t have the ergonomic grip to hold the railings. But with the support of my co-trekkers and god’s grace, I managed to reach the top.”

Besides planning new adventures, Khyati is busy giving shape to her new startup wherein she designs uniquely curated travel packages for specially-abled communities. “Being an ardent traveller, I have experienced innumerable challenges which specially-abled people like me have to endure. With my experience and expertise, I want to design hassle-free and smooth travel for disabled people that accommodates their shortcomings while allowing them to optimally explore the destination.”