Hyderabad: Spiritual centre that cares for physical well-being too

Rajendranagar: Helping Hand Foundation (HHF), a voluntary organisation in association with US-based SEED organisation, has set up an exclusive wellness clinic for underprivileged women atMasjid-e-Mustafa at Wadi-e-Mahmood in Rajendranagar.

The key components of the non-communicable diseases (NCD) programme at the clinic are risk assessment, counselling on diet and exercise and screening for renal, liver and eye check-up. Highly trained and professional counsellors are part of the clinic who counsel at an average 25-30 patients daily.

A professional wellness coach has been appointed. Two batches of 15 members each are being trained. "Apart from counselling on diet and lifestyle changes, the participants are being trained on a treadmill and a cross trainer both of which are installed in the wellness clinic. The motive behind the noble cause is to provide space and tools for physical activity for women from lower economic strata and enable their well-being," said Mujtaba HasanAskari of HHF.

Nafeesa Fatima, one of the participants, said, "I am feeling highly energetic after joining the classes and I am motivating other women in that area to join the sessions."Another woman, GhousiaNausheen, said that she was suffering from malice and lethargy and after joining the clinic she has found much improvement in her day to day life.

In the first batch, a group of 30 women have got enrolled for the "weight loss program" and they will undergo moderate to intense workout sessions followed by training on treadmill, cross trainer and muscle toning" said Dr Sana Siddique, wellness trainer at HHF.

Hugely beneficial for those at risk of NCDs

Women with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)constitute about 30 per cent of the participants in the wellness programme which was launched earlier last month. A total of 350 women aged between 25 and 55 yearswere screened for NCDs at the clinic using a WHO template to determine risk factors for NCDs.

Parameters like age, family history, smoking, waist circumference, height and weight were recorded on a scale of 10. Those women who score is greater than fourareat risk of developing NCDs mainly diabetes and hypertension. From the preliminary survey it was found that 40 per cent of women had scores greater than four and 12 per cent had single or co morbidities like diabetes, Hypertension and thyroid problems. All trainees having a score of four had BMI greater than 25.

52 per cent of women had high hip-waist ratio greater than 0.8, which predisposes the women to the risk of cardiometabolic syndrome, which is now classified as a cluster of dysfunction like insulin resistance, tolerance, de arranged lipids etc that lead to the risk of diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.