Experts in various fields of medicine will be conducting free Health Screenings along with Dentists and Podiatrists at the upcoming Indian & South Asian Health Expo on April 27 at the Marriott Hotel in Newton, Mass.

Thiagarajan Sheth
“We will also have specialists at the •Ask the Doctor’ segment at the Expo,” said Dr. Subha Thiagarajan, chair of community service at the Indian Medical Association of New England. “A healthy lifestyle, preventative care, routine screenings and physical exams can improve health and prevent major health related cost for individuals and families.”

Organized by IMANE and INDIA New England news, the day-long free Health Expo will bring the area’s major hospitals and health care providers together with the Asian Indian and South Asian communities in New England.

“IMANE team has worked very hard to put together a day dedicated to health screenings at the Expo. We will have blood sugar checks, blood pressure measurements led by doctors from IMANE executive committee,” said IMANE President Dr. Manju Sheth. “Patients will be given general advice related to their health and will need to follow up with their own physicians.”

Dental screenings will be led by Dr. Anita Gohel from Boston University Medical School from noon to 2:00 pm. Dr. Deepa Jhaveri, podiatrist, will be available for advice related to foot problems from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. A number of pediatricians led by Dr. Meera Subramaniam and Dr. Manorama Mathur will also be available during the day. Dr Sucheta Doshi will provide information related to TB screenings. An eye exam will be provided by Dr. Rahul Modi and there will also be a bone marrow as well.

“While preventative care was targeted for the underserved, we are aware of the cost of neglecting routine screening in our •healthy adult’ population who are limited by time, work and social obligations,” said Thiagarajan. “We at IMANE have been inspired by our physicians who run Free Clinics and would like to offer routine screenings to all of our population in events like these.”

Dr. Thiagarajan said that while traditional Indian practices have been the foundation of Indian diet and habits, Western medicine has offered cures to serious illnesses.

“We are, however, at a juncture where our children and some of us are changing our habits and are losing the benefits or Eastern medicine and depending solely on Western medicine. Hence we are offering the best of both worlds by incorporating health screening, advice, and lectures in both traditional and western medicine at the Expo,” said Dr. Thiagarajan. “We are also incorporating the concept of Mind Body Medicine, which has been neglected with rise in depression and stress affecting physical health and loss of function in young adults and working class in our community. We are looking forward to serving you all.”

The Health Expo is sponsored by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and supported by the following organizations: American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, Association of Pakistani Physicians of New England, Ekal Vidyalay, Gujrati Association of New England, the India Association of Greater Boston, the India Association of New Hampshire, the India Society of Worcester, the Indian American Forum for Political Education, Indian Americans of Lexington, Learnquest Academy, New England Hindi Manch, NetSap Boston, Saheli Boston, the United India Association and Vision Aid.
Health Tips of the Week
Here are some health tips from readers of the Health Expo event page on Facebook. Neither IMANE nor INE are responsible for these tips. Please consult your doctor.

Submitted by Dolly Takhtiani:
Sindhi Spinach Sabzi: One bunch of spinach, 1 cup water, 1 diced onion, 2 tomatoes, half cup chana dal, half tsp. ginger, 3-4 cloves garlic,1 tsp. cumin seeds, 1 cup water, Red/green chilies, salt to taste. Wash and chop the spinach. Heat 2 tbs. of oil and fry the onion till golden brown. Add spinach and all the ingredients. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles. Let it simmer for 5 minutes. Final touch: mess the spinach roughly and serve with hot rice.