AIIMS starts yoga centre to control diabetes, hypertension

New Delhi: Getting the positive outcome from the impact of yoga over the diabetic and hypertension patients, All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) has established an Yoga centre at Dakhshinpuri where doctors and trained yoga experts will teach the patients how to perform customized yoga for their benefits.

Under a pilot project, around 400 patients will undergo the classes of specialised yoga session. The first model centre will be inaugurated by Dr Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS, on Thursday. The Integrated Medicine Center and Community Medicine Department of AIIMS have formulated this project with the help of Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Dr Punit Misra, Professor of Project and Community Medicine, said that research has now proven that yoga is helpful in controlling diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure). With a motto to spread its benefits among the patients at AIIMS, we started a specific centre but the centre can not invited every patient to AIIMS.

After much speculation, our team has started this under a pilot project. Meanwhile, our expert team has experience that not every one could go to Yoga studio or exercise in the gym. So, for weaker section of the country, we have developed nine modules of yoga and meditation of around 50 minutes, which will be helpful in controlling diabetes and blood pressure.

He said that AIIMS has Urban Health Centre in Dakshinpuri near Ambedkar Nagar where the Model Centre of Yoga will be started.

Here's the goal of adding 400 people in the first year. There will be three to four sessions of yoga every day. After training for two weeks, the patients will be motivated to do yoga at home. Later, our expert team will visit their homes to check the impacts of yoga.

Before yoga and after yoga, basic tests like blood pressure, sugar, cholesterol will be done on each patient. In this way, the doctors will tell you what benefits the patients received after performing yoga. Experts believe that medicines of patients of diabetes can be reduced by up to 50 percent if yoga is done properly. Dr Mishra said that if this project is successful, such model centres will be started in many parts of the country including Delhi.

According to an estimate, 7.2 million people are suffering from diabetes in the country.

According to the National Family Health Survey 2015-16 report, six percent of women aged 15 to 49 years and 8 percent of men are suffering from diabetes. On the other hand, 11 percent of women and 15 per cent of men suffer from hypertension. Both of these diseases are a major cause of paralysis and cardiovascular disease.