Stress a Global Epidemic, says Dr.Ajay Pal Sandhu

Ludhiana, April 4, 2015: Awareness Lecture was organised by Fortis Hospital Ludhiana under the supervision of Dr.Ajay Pal Sandhu. The International Labour Organization has called occupational stress a global epidemic. Globally about 75 percent of employees report their jobs as very stressful. Occupational stress is implicated for higher incidence of heart diseases, backaches, headaches, diabetes, depression, anxiety, obesity, alcoholism, marital disputes, etc. Stressed workers report sick 50 percent more than non stressed employees.

Stressed workers adversely affects the efficiency of the corporate body. Stress affects concentration, it hampers teamwork as anger and irritability increase and cooperation and creativity lessen. Absenteesism increases. Presenteeism also occurs in which stressed employees just stay on well after working hours without working due to job insecurity, thus reducing work place efficiency. Rate of suicide increases and sometimes work place violence occurs.

Sleep disturbances are common and the common phenemenon of becoming addicted to self prescribed tranquilisers like alprax. Production and efficiency decrease reducing profitability of the company, while having higher medical expenses. India has less resource to handle this problem, while having the tendency of treating it as minor. Trend has been to stigmatize and victimize stressed employees. Lip servise is paid by holding a yoga class or meditation discourse. This is totally inadequate as stress management has to be tailor made.

Stress management programs have shown that medical expenses and sick days decrease by about 25 percent. Production and profitability rise. The cost benefit in USA is a financial gain of 6 dollars for every 1 dollar spent. The coming years will have less family time as mobile phones and computers keep the employee connected with office 24/7.Cooperation between mental health professionals and management is the need of the hour, for this reason Fortis Hospital Ludhiana has started special stress management classes for corporate houses, along with New preventive health check up packages, tailor made for corporate sector said Vivan Gill, Facility Director, Fortis Hospital, Ludhiana.

Also present on the occasion were Vivan Gill, Facility Director, Dr.Harpreet Brar, Admin Head, Dr.Ankush Mehta, Medical Superintendent, Fortis Hospital, Ludhiana.