Why is good health so elusive in these modern times?
Sometimes one cannot help but reminisce about the good old days of our childhood when good health was in abundance among the people and there was a general feeling of contentment and well-being.
Why do we have youngsters as young as 25 years nowadays succumbing to heart attack, diabetes, hypertension etc., when in the past these terms were practically unheard off?
The fast food culture makes it cool to hang around MacDonald’s and savour those burgers, French fries, rolls etc. No one likes to eat nutritious home cooked food. Walking or cycling for even short distances is old fashioned when its more fashionable to zoom around in one’s latest trendy car. It doesn’t matter that your abdominal girth keeps increasing!!During our childhood days there were few cars and scooters around. The 100cc bike revolution in 1984 started a new path to laziness. Maruti brought out the 800 in early nineties and from then on it’s a cut throat competition among the various automobile manufacturers to bring out new and supposedly better models, even if it’s just old wine in new bottle.
Children nowadays prefer to play games on social media rather than go outdoors and play them. In the good old days besides the usual football, cricket, volleyball etc., children would play various innovative games like marbles and seven tiles. Our educational system right from school to college and university consists of mugging up excessive theoretical matter not to gain knowledge, but emphasis on passing or scoring in exams. There is hardly any time devoted for healthy extracurricular activities like sports, elocution, music etc. essential for building a healthy, all round, well balanced personality. We might have fancy degrees, money, status etc. but end up with stomach ulcers, cholesterol blocks in our blood, clogged arteries etc. not to mention neurotic personalities due to lack of physical and mental fitness.
Take the example of a subject like history, in schools. Children are taught so much about Indian, Mughal history etc. but hardly anything about our own State. Only a few are aware about Goa’s liberation struggle, great Goan musicians, sportsmen, freedom fighters etc. They can wax eloquence on the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre in Amritsar in 1919 but are ignorant about the massacre which took place in the old municipal building in Margao near Holy Spirit church on 21st September 1890 during the Portuguese rule in which 23 people were killed.
In the good old days most illnesses were treated by the friendly family physician having the Portuguese medical degree of ‘’Medico Cirurgiao’’ [MC]. His clinic was simple and clean having only the minimal basic equipment like stethoscope, blood pressure monitor, torch, reflex hammer, few emergency injections, wound dressing material etc. He would welcome the patient with a smile, enquire gently about his family, hobbies etc. before starting on the medical history. He would give the patient a thorough examination, reassure the patient and put him at ease all in good humour. Within minutes of entering his clinic, half your illness seemed to magically disappear. Compare this to the business-like approach adopted nowadays.
Many of these family physicians are still practicing and their patients have unshakeable faith in them. In Aquem last year we lost a great general physician and anesthetic Dr Shailesh Raiturkar who had the healing midas touch. During our childhood days in Borda, there used to be a ‘’medico cirurgiao’’ Dr Kusha Kudchadkar who in the evening time would practice at Comba in a run-down garage. But such was his personality that he would see practically hundreds of patients a day. Though he belonged to the old school of thought the very touch of his hand or stethoscope on the patient would give an instant feeling of relief. He was our family doctor and I could personally vouch for his healing touch. Not that he did or prescribed any extraordinary medicines but just his gentle humorous personality.
Points to ponder on why good health continues to elude most people nowadays!!!
Dr Edgar Menezes