In a recent conversation with Emcure Pharma’s Whole-Time Director, Namita Thapar, cricket legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni revealed that there is an urgent need to prioritise women’s health.
While talking to Thapar on her Uncondition Yourself with Namita podcast, Dhoni revealed that although he isn’t much proactive with his health check-ups, his wife is quite up to date with her diagnostic tests.
When Namita Thapar asked him about his and his wife Sakshi Dhoni’s hemoglobin numbers, Dhoni admitted he had no idea. He also praised Sakshi for being more proactive than him regarding health check-ups.
He said, “I have to say the truth or I have to give a good answer? Okay, so basically, I don’t know the exact numbers, but I know one thing: she (Sakshi Dhoni) knows her numbers. She is quite regular with all the check-ups and everything. She’s much more periodic about it than me. I should have been. You know, they say generally that once you cross 40, you should do regular check-ups. But I have taken the liberty of hiding behind the fact that, ‘Oh, maybe I’m an athlete, I don’t need to do all this’. But I need to get into it. One of my biggest problems is I’m scared of needles… so unless it’s absolutely necessary, I don’t do it (health check-up); I try to delay it.”
He added, “But my wife, she’s brilliant with it. She knows her numbers, but I don’t ask because I know if there’s some problem, everybody in the house will know. So I’ll hear it. That’s the case with my father, he is very particular about it too, like my wife. For her, maybe it is every 6 months (regular health checkups), he’s (his father) is very particular… it is every three months.”
The discussion was part of Emcure’s Arth campaign, which seeks to challenge social attitudes and encourage women to take control of their health.
Namita also added: “A condescending attitude, with remarks like ‘maybe she’s going through PMS or hormonal mood swings,’ often discourages women from speaking up. Addressing these health-related challenges by creating a supportive and empathetic environment is essential, ensuring that health is never a barrier to women’s personal and professional growth.”
Dhoni concludes with a powerful reminder: “Health is wealth. Sacrifice some comfort, give some time to yourself and invest it in your health; it will pay good dividends.”