Doctor makes World Health Day event interactive

| S VENKATESHWARAN |

World Health Day was celebrated by the Senior Citizen Forum
in a grand manner at Nanganallur on Tuesday, April 7, 2026,
with the participation of senior citizens, doctors and members of
social organisations. The event created awareness on the
importance of health and well-being, especially for the elderly.
Chief Guest, Dr. V. Sundar, a well-known pulmonologist,
delivered the keynote address using presentation slides,
making the session informative and easy to understand.
He highlighted the need to take special care of senior citizens,
particularly in preventing diseases like tuberculosis, pneumonia
and other lung-related illnesses.
Dr. Sundar explained how vaccination has helped reduce many
contagious diseases and advised all senior citizens to take
pneumonia vaccination at least once a year. He also interacted
with the audience and answered several questions raised by
the participants regarding their health issues.
Mr. V. Rama Rao, president of the Federation of Senior Citizen
Associations of Tamil Nadu, emphasised the need for
healthcare professionals to prioritize public health and adopt
science-based solutions, including the One Health approach.
He also requested the government to allocate more funds for
healthcare and establish more geriatric hospitals.

Special invitee, Mr. R.T. Namashivayam, encouraged senior
citizens to stay positive and not worry too much about age-
related issues, and suggested spending time with lonely elders
to uplift their spirits.
Mr. S. Sankar, treasurer of the Senior Citizen Forum, spoke
about the role of science in improving healthcare, disease-
prevention, mental health, and climate change awareness.
Earlier, forum president, Mr. T.M. Sampath, welcomed the
gathering, and secretary, Mr. T.N. Srinivasan, inaugurated the
conference, stressing the importance of unity among senior
citizens.
Several members, including Mr. Chandra Bose, Mr.
Kumaravelu and Mr. Badri participated in the event.
A resolution was passed, requesting the Government of Tamil
Nadu and the Greater Chennai Corporation to provide free
pneumonia vaccination for senior citizens in a phased manner,
considering their low immunity levels.