How would Digital Age we live in make a difference within Healthcare in Pakistan?
HealthCare is one area that does not get much public acknowledgement in spite of being the most important and obvious. However, it is the one that we stay concerned about throughout the day. Strange, right? Take our media for instance, the only forums where we hear about health is the morning shows on TV. Even they mention it in the manner as if it’s part of their routine to add a bit of this and a bit of that and not as a serious enough issue to debate or discuss during Primetime viewing. Lifestyle magazines cover this more under staying fit through healthy eating, and also through exercises and physical activities.
What does being healthy mean to you?
We may get different answers depending on who, where, the age group, or gender of the person. I would like to say the answer lies in it is how much of the following four do we have in our lives, Fitness, Nutrition, Wellness and Hygiene.
In a perfect life we ought to have the right balance of the above four. Though in terms of prioritizing, the order then would be Hygiene, Nutrition, Wellness and Fitness in the end.
The sequence is simple, if the right food is not hygienically prepared the nutritional properties will have neutralized. Then comes Wellness where we must feel good every time we see the mirror. That not being the case we then focus on setting goals to achieve the fitness level that we wish to attain.
‘4th Industrial Revolution’, Cyber connectivity has brought almost everything in this world to your palm through your smartphone. It’s the connectivity that gives you the access to any information, and adding smartphone that exploits and transforms the ability to define your need to the desired offering.
With Fitness you bring all the available stakeholders whether it’s the vendors that sell the equipment online that will keep you fit, to the fitness gyms, access to globally based fitness gurus, to apps that will guide you with the needs you may have based on the profile provided.
As per the statistics of U.S. Department of Health & Human services, only one out of three children are physically active every day and not more than 5% of the adults participate in daily physical activities. The trend of physical activity has been observed as high as 35%-44% among the adults of 75 years or older whereas this percentage drops to 28%-34% among 65-75 years old. So, the rate of physical inactivity can be assumed among the youngster who spend more than seven and half hours in front of a screen.
We often hear words like wellness and health interchangeably. Internet, television shows and magazines are full of weight loss programs and tips. News and reports bring up latest innovations in nutrition and fitness. What Exactly is Wellness ? How healthy living style can be achieved?
Healthy eating alludes to consuming assorted foods that supplies nutrients necessary to have energy and feel good. These nutrients are comprised of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, fats and minerals. Nutrition is crucial for every human being. When in conjunction with being physically active as well as keeping a healthy weight, eating healthy is the brilliant way to support your body stay stronger and healthier.
Hygiene incorporates varied habits including washing hands and brushing teeth for keeping microorganisms, infections and fungus away from our bodies. Also, such habits will assist us to ensure our psychological wellness and activity. Likewise, good hygiene practices will help us to continue liking ourselves. Since the individuals who do not pay attention to their personal hygiene such as messy garments, body stench, and appalling breath will experience the ill effects of discrimination and this will, for the most part, prompt psychological issues. Personal hygiene motivates the individual to keep its surroundings clean as well. So, once you have realized that if you have to stay clean you need to care about your surroundings also and adopt such practices that are enlightening for others as well.
In order to leverage full Digital landscape we have to have multi-pronged approach. We must leverage all digital channels, and that includes social media space as well. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, tweeter, blogs etc. we must make sure there is a holistic approach that integrates all of the above, and perhaps also give access to that audience through a smartphone app. The more the people engage with the community the more the vendors will be able to gauge change in consumer behavior.The resulting data will enable the vendors to raise standards, add more products and services and create an eco-system that is reflective of the changing times that is Digital Age!
Ayub Ghuari -As a socially responsible entrepreneur I am personally developing a digital platform that will incorporate all that is essential to help give public a Healthcare community that is focused on staying away from hospital. Let’s all work towards developing a preventive environment before there is requirement of a curative one.
The community will be called HospitALL! There will be more on this in the coming issues
