Rama Krishna Sangem
Sudden demise of 50 year old Mekapati Goutham Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Industries and IT Minister, on February 21, Monday is a wake up call for us all. He died of heart attack, doctors said.
Particularly, in this Covid pandemic period, many such not so old persons are dying without any warning signals. We are still discussing about the death of Kannada superstar Puneet Rajkumar at the age of 48, in Bangalore a few months ago.
Goutham Reddy collapsed after complaining chest pain at around 7.20 am at his residence in Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad on Monday. He just returned from Dubai where he participated in Dubai International Expo to promote AP as an investment destination. He was alright till 6 to 6.30 am as he checked his mobile for messages etc. The end came so sudden.
Being a regular gym goer, Goutham must not have expected this kind of end to his life. So is the case with scores of others who knew him from quarters, especially his family. Goutham’s wife Keerthi too said things were fine when he got up in the morning but since then he felt some unease in chest. He had some water and later called his driver and then collapsed on the floor.
He was taken to a nearby Apollo Hospitals, but the doctors declared him brought dead. The tragic news spread fast and set a sad mood in both AP and Telangana. But what agitated most was the possible factors which might have caused the death. Why a person of healthy lifestyle and fitness consciousness should die so sudden, is the point of discussions everywhere.
Cardiologist’s Take
Cardiologists who spoke to Excel India say that Goutham could have been suffering from some blood clotting (thrombosis) in the heart for some time. “During this pandemic, most people have got Covid without knowing. In such cases, there is a possibility of values clotting and without any symptoms too,” said Dr Priyen Kantilal Shah, consultant cardiologist at Care Banjara Hospital, Hyderabad.
Dr Shah says only regular check ups are the solution to find out the status of our heart. “Please don’t become a doctor, and consult a doctor, if there is any problem,” he said. Healthy lifestyle and moderate workouts are required. Healthy lifestyle includes eating right and leading a stress free life. Looking active is not being active, says many doctors.
A few other cardiologists in KTR seeks Global Smart City status to Hyderabadopined that Puneeth Rajkumar or Goutham may have fought off their hearth problems by staying fit. But, that is not enough.What we must do is to go for annual check ups and review our health status with the help of specialist, they say. Definitely, 50s is not an age to die. What is needed is being alert.
As his son is to come from the US on February 22, Guotham Reddy’s last rites will be performed in his native village in Nellore district on February 23. AP CM YS Jagan declared two days mourning in AP. Many dignitaries including Telangana Industries and IT Minister KTR paid condolences to Goutham Reddy.
