According to Statistics, India accounts for about 32% of global deaths and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) of respiratory disease, as per 2016 data. The major contributors for this life-threatening chronic lung diseases issues, dyspnea and other respiratory problems are mostly air pollution, climate change, smoking and age-related health issues.
Apart from the regular treatments for respiratory diseases, there’s a new trend of pulmonary rehabilitation program gaining momentum.
This supervised program consists of exercise, training, education, counselling, risk factor modification and finding an alternative to live a healthy life.
It is an evidence-based, multi-pronged treatment process that helps people with breathing problems. This treatment is considered to be effective in improving the quality of life of the patient and achieve optimal recovery of function and movement.
Find the best cardio-pulmonary rehab physiotherapist in Vadodara!
This program can benefit patients suffering from:
- Lung Disease, Shortness of Breath
- COPD, Emphysema, Asthma, Chronic Bronchitis
- Alpha 1- Antitrypsin Deficiency
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Lung Cancer
- Emphysema
- Bronchiectasis
- Pre and post-surgery for lung reduction surgery
- Pre and post-surgery for lung transplant surgery, etc.
What are the challenges in India?
The treatment for these health problems is not much effective and satisfactory. Stemming the disease and associated disability are hugely lacking here. If the illness is not diagnosed at an early stage, then there are chances of weight loss, dysfunctional respiratory muscle, disability, acute exacerbations and such.
In India, priority is given to build outpatient clinics and emergency and intensive care units instead of rehabilitation centers. Other reasons hampering include long-term and time-consuming nature of rehabilitation program.
Medical professionals don’t have enough exposure to related concepts, impacts, and benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation. There is also a need for appointing well-trained staff for pulmonary rehabilitation related assessment. At Pranayam Hospital, we have experienced physiotherapists dealing with cardio-pulmonary rehabilitation.
All this leads to a lack of awareness among patients which in turn increases the drop-out rate. Also, patients lose interest in the longterm program after noticing visible changes in their health. Patients in India are unwilling or incapable of spending money on their treatment that delays their treatment process.
Many fatalities like lung ailments and malnutrition during the rehabilitation can be reduced with timely and effective pulmonary programs.
What are the possible opportunities?
Integrate pulmonary rehabilitation program concepts into the graduate and undergraduate curriculum of trainee doctors. Relevant information and exposure to trainee doctors will help in being accurate and early recommendation to patients suffering from COPD, ILD, etc.
Since pulmonary rehabilitation program is more exercise training-oriented procedure, there is immense potential for home-based initiatives. Researches believe that home- based pulmonary program is effective in enhancing the patient’s endurance for physical activity, dyspnoea sensation and improve quality of life in COPD patients. There are many start-ups, government and private hospitals that provide such facilities.
Over to you!
In India, there is a certain level of attention in metropolitan cities; all we need is to build more and more such program all over the country. In this digital era, spreading awareness and educating people about such diseases have become very easy.
Not only this, there is a huge scope for healthcare start-ups and ‘at home’ program that can flourish and aid in demolishing respiratory diseases.
Pranayam Lung and Heart Institute, comprising of reputed physiotherapists in Vadodara, offers the best technology, unmatched skills and professional team of doctors that will help in preparing an effective rehabilitation plan based on the patient’s needs and depends on the conscious state, psychological status and physical strength. It incorporates any active and passive therapy that promotes movement and includes mobilization. Find more about us!
Pranayam Lung & Heart Institute 