Politicians should also declare their health status: IMA

NEW DELHI: Indian Medical Association today called upon politicians to declare their health status like they declare their financial assets with Delhi scheduled to go for assembly polls on February 7.

"It is the right of the voter to know the health status of their candidates and whether or not they will be able to bear the stress of politics for the next five years," said Dr K K Aggarwal, General Secretary of IMA.

Aggarwal said that politicians are regarded as icons and celebrities in the society and their habits influence the younger generation.

"If they are out of shape, have abdominal obesity or if they smoke or drink, the younger generation will get the wrong message," he said,

Dr A Marthanda Pillai, National President of IMA stressed on the need to form a mechanism as a part of which it becomes mandatory for candidates fighting elections to undego medical tests.

"When somebody wants to join a public sector job, he or she has to undergo a fitness test and if the medical examination reveals any pre-existing serious disease then he or she is disqualified for the job. No sportsperson is allowed to play without undergoing a methodical medical fitness test.

"Then how come a politician who is responsible for the governance of one of the largest democracies in the world is allowed to fight an election without his or her health being checked?," said Pillai.

"The job of a politician is to work at the grass root level and provide services to the community.

They are supposed to be physically active people who can reach places of disaster in no time, walk for miles to reach the community and provide for what the public wants, said Aggarwal.