Hypertension Chair and Clinic in DMCH

Ludhiana, April 4, 2014: DMCH, Ludhiana today launched Dr.Mohinder P Sambhi Hypertension Chair and Clinic. The Chair and Clinic has been made possible due to a generous grant by Dr.Mohinder P Sambhi a Ludhiana born physician and hypertension specialist who is settled in Los Angeles, USA. Dr.Sambhi is the Professor Emeritus at the School of Medicine, University of California. Dr Mohinder P Sambhi has sent a donation of $ 1 lakh for setting up this Chair & Clinic. He intends to give 1 million $ for this over a period of time. He has a vision to help patients of hypertension in this region. Dr.Sambhi is a philanthropist and has been donating in US and India earlier also. He has set up a chair on Indian classical music at the University of California, Los Angeles, with a donation of $ 1 million. In the memory of his beloved wife, Dr.MohinderBrarSambhi (Minno), who passed away in 2004, he made the second endowment by offering $2 million to John Hopkins University for setting up the Centre of Indian Studies, Washington.

This chair has been made possible in DMCH through the Sarin Memorial Legal Aid Foundation which is being managed by M L Sarin a senior advocate of the Punjab High Court. Through M L Sarin, Dr.Sambhi has already donated for a chair in Baba Farid University, Faridkot and for thalasemic children in Chandigarh.

Sunil Kant Munjal, President Managing Society and Prem Kumar Gupta, Secretary DMC&H have welcomed this chair which is being set with an equal contribution from the Managing Society of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital. They stated; this being the 50th year of our service will be an important step towards creating greater awareness and better management of patients with hypertension. The Chair and Clinic is being established under the research and development centre of DMCH since the institute wants to conduct original research in the field of hypertension which is applicable to the Indian people. Hypertension is the commonest cardiovascular disease. More than 1 billion adults have hypertension in the world. The prevalence in urban Indians is 25-30% and in rural Indians is 15%. Hypertension often co- exists in the form of a metabolic syndrome X along with the central obesity, diabetes and dyslipidaemias. It increases the risk of heart attacks, brain strokes, kidney failures and heart failures if it is left uncontrolled. Life style measures like salt restriction, avoidance of fat intake, regular aerobic exercise and avoiding intoxicants like alcohol and tobacco can reduce its prevalence. The general public needs to be emphasised the value of regular medications and good control of blood pressure so as to avoid the complications. Dayanand Medical College and Hospital has taken this responsibility of creating awareness among the masses. The Chair and Clinic will hold regular public lectures, prepare brochures and pamphlets for general information and establish a state of art clinic for management of patients with Hypertension.