HEALTHY TALK: Noted nephrologist Ajay K. Singh of Harvard Medical School discussing a point with Andhra Medical College Nephrology Department head G. Raviraju at a conference in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of ENC Sureesh Mehta is also seen. - Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Nephrology Department of Andhra Medical College and Harvard Medical School have jointly launched Screening and Early Evaluation of Kidney Disease (SEEK) project here on Sunday.

This will be the 16th centre covered under the project in India. The project envisages early detection of kidney ailments by sensitising doctors as well as patients.

Delivering the Prof. P. Brahmayya Sastry memorial lecture at the continued medical education (CME) programme organised on the eve of World Kidney Day on March 9, noted nephrologist from Harvard Medical School Ajay K. Singh said India and China were identified as high-risk countries due to high incidence of diabetes.

Dr. Singh said as per projections, India would account for 25 million kidney failure cases in the next 20 years and regretted that there was no organised screening programme. He said under SEEK project, they would encourage holding screening camps at various levels on a regular basis.

Awareness programmes

The expert of international fame said approximately 10 per cent of population was getting affected with kidney ailments due to food habits and other factors.

India had a large reservoir of diabetes with the number projected at 57 million by 2025.

The progression of the disease could be stopped if the medicine was given to patients in the event of early detection.

Even doctors from medicine and other disciplines should be sensitised on how to face the challenges posed by alarming increase in the number of kidney ailments in India, he pointed out.

Renal transplantation

Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Naval Command Sureesh Mehta, in his inaugural address, stressed the emergence of non-communicable diseases like cardio-vascular, kidney, diabetic mellitius and hypertension, which were consuming 80 per cent of health budget all over the world.

Presiding over the meeting, head of the department of nephorology in Andhra Medical College T. Raviraju said they were among the few centres to offer free renal transplantation in a Government teaching hospital.

He said the department not only catered to the needs of the patients of Visakhapatnam but also people from north coastal Andhra, southern Orissa and parts of Chattisgarh.

The department started in 1985 has facilities like peritoneal dialysis, hemodialylsis (artificial kidney) and a full-fledged laboratory for detection of kidney diseases.

Former Director of Medical Education R. Sasiprabha, Andhra Medical College Principal R. Narayana Rao and noted gynaecologist G. Ramakrishna Raju, spoke.

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