"It is a Stigma to Talk About Depression in India." - Anurag Batra

MedScape India, an initiative by Dr. Sunita Dube that helps in bringing the entire healthcare community together, presented 2nd Fit India Conclave 2019 with support of the Ministry of AYUSH, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of External Affairs, NITI Ayog, Government of India on 30th June 2019 in New Delhi.   

Being a media personage, Chairman and Editor in chief of BW Businessworld, Anurag Batra talked about the role of media in healthcare. In his interactive session, he covered the areas like health sector GDP, the influence of people on health and wellness and some government policies.   

During his talk, he said, “In India, it is a stigma to talk about depression and media could help in three ways to deal with this issue – Mainstream media, Social media, and Influencers. In developing countries, the allocation of budget in the health sector is 5-10 per cent whereas in India, its 3 per cent. Media could help in building public opinion and bridging the gap between the citizens and policymakers.”   

Social media is frivolous and with the help of social media, surgeries could be performed live in terms of guiding patients to experts. Mental health is the biggest health issue in the country and the media needs to address the issue of mental wellbeing for everyone. Anurag Batra believes, “Influencers have a great impact on people. Stories of influencers like Deepika Padukone, Milind Soman, and Sonali Bendre could be used by media to create awareness among people.”   

In terms of healthcare solutions, he suggested some alterations in diet and to avoid preserved & processed food items to improve the lifestyle. Lifestyle has a huge impact on mental health. Avoiding forwarded messages is another important step, as they promote fake news.   

Media could play an evangelical role by amplifying stories. He summed up the talk with 3 things- “Good sleep, Nutrition and Eating less”, are essential aspects for the betterment of life.