Chandigarh: 400 students, faculty and Doctors from PU & PGIMER participated in the Walkathon and Special Lectures, which were organised by PU Health Centre. PU VC Prof Grover and Director, PGIMER Prof Chawla flagged off the Walkathon at 8 AM from BGJ Institute of Health, PU, which concluded at Department of Evening Studies Auditorium, Arts Block-I, where lectures and awareness campaign were conducted. Experts from PGIMER Dept of Hepatology namely Prof Yogesh Chawla, Dr Ajay Duseja and Dr Sunil Taneja enlightened the audience about the Hepatitis A, B, C & E.
Referring to the Swachh & Swasth Bharat agenda of the Government of India, PU VC Prof Grover said that Skill, Sudridh (strong), Sushikshit (Well educated) and Susanskrit (Cultured) Bharat should also be our priority. He expressed his happiness that PU & PGIMER institutions have come together for the great social and noble cause.
PGIMER Chandigarh Director Prof Chawla said that the World Hepatitis Day is being celebrated all over the country. Viral Hepatitis is largely unnoticeable and tends to cause serious inflammatory diseases of the liver, he added.
Dr Sunil Taneja said that Hepatitis A & E are self limiting diseases in majority of cases and get cured without any drugs treatment. These diseases spread by drinking contaminated water. The Hepatitis causes Jaundice in most of cases, which is cured early with good food. The prevention is very important. Vaccination for Hepatitis A is available while for Hepatitis E is being developed and likely to be available in next two to five years, he added.
Dr Ajay Duseja said that World Health Organization (WHO) has targeted to eliminate viral Hepatitis by year 2030 but elimination is possible only with collective effort of all the stake holders. Hepatitis B & C tends to become chronic and persist for years, while Hepatitis A & E are acute in nature and are curable in about six months time or earlier. He described Hepatitis B & C as silent killers, which are symptom-less. One can only know of these diseases by blood testing. He informed that vaccination for prevention of Hepatitis B is available and there is no age bar for vaccination.
Dr R Khullar from PU Health Centre said that liver is one of the most essential organ of the human body, which performs hundreds of functions. He referred to popular poetry of ‘Jigar Ka Tukda’ and Jigra, which stands for courage.
Chief Medical Officer of PU Health Centre Dr Devinder Dhawan said that July 28 is celebrated globally as World Hepatitis Day. It is aimed to raise global awareness on hepatitis. World Hepatitis Day is one of the eight official global public health campaigns endorsed by WHO.