Ganguly’s heart attack is a warning to all !

Sourav Ganguly, hailed as one of the best cricketers in India suffered chest pain on January 2, 2021 while he was exercising at his residence.

The BCCI President was admitted in Woodlands Hospital, Kolakatta and was diagnosed with three blocked coronary arteries which had led to a mild cardiac arrest. After undergoing angioplasty, he was declared clinically fit on Jan 6, 2021. He will be discharged on Thursday.

Here, we should look at the fact that Ganguly is not among the average Indians who spend their entire careers attached to a chair, desk and a PC. He has been a cricketer for more than 15 years. That is, at least fifteen years of devotion to the game and disciplined approach towards his health & fitness.

While some call cricket as a lazy game, the game needs the player to be ‘up and running’ from the very second he sets foot on the ground. He was in good shape while he played, and he looks fit now, in spite of nearing 50 years of age.

On the other hand, Ganguly did not have any smoking or drinking habits. One of his close friends Sambaran Banerjee, the former Bengal Captain and national selector said “I know Sourav never smoked or drank. He took his fitness very seriously and trained as often as he could.”

So when a fit man with years of physical training and conditioning like Ganguly could get a heart attack, what does it convey for employees who sit on the same chair for almost 7 to 8 hours per day? It beckons us to involve ourselves in physical & mental wellness routines!

It was learned that recently Ganguly had lowered his training, and one of the reasons for that is he now has a job that wants him to sit and govern how cricket is played in India.

This was briefed well by The Indian Express in one of its feature. It reported the recent meeting between Ganguly and his Bengal teammate Saurasish Lahiri that took place on Decemeber 30 at Eden Garden, Lahiri had asked Ganguly whether he still trains. Ganguly had replied that due to his work he had been missing more days of training than the usual.

On Tuesday (Jan 5, 2021), renowned cardiologist Dr. Devi Shetty met Ganguly and the team of nine doctors treating him at Woodlands Hospital, and held discussion over the kind of treatment and follow ups that Dada has to take.

“Sourav didn’t have any major problem. This is the problem which most Indians experience at some point in time, which is a blockage in the coronary artery. Did he have heart damage? No. He had a blockage and he was getting some discomfort, but at the right time he landed in the right hospital and he had the right treatment,” said Dr. Shetty, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo.

Learning from the doctor’s words, it is clear that many Indians will experience this kind of ailment in their life as they age. So this incident should strike the mind of everyone to be aware of their heart’s health and check its health status at least a year.

We need to follow an active lifestyle. We cannot give excuses. A brisk early morning stroll or a jog should become a routine. And if we or anyone near us suffer heart attack, we need to rush them to a hospital that can give quality treatment.