On the occasion of World Kidney Day, CMRI Kolkata, a part of CK Birla Hospitals, organized an interactive session with the media personalities at Press Club Kolkata. The theme of this year’s session is, “Protect Your Kidneys: Steps to Early Detection and Prevention”, centered around encouraging public awareness and discussions regarding importance of kidney health, with a focus on early diagnosis and preventive measures against chronic kidney diseases. The session was led by Dr. Pradip Chakraborty, Kidney Transplant Specialist and Surgeon, and Dr. Avinandan Banerjee, Consultant and Nephrologist at CMRI.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Pradip Chakraborty said, “Having witnessed many cases of kidney diseases in the pediatrics department, we believe it is now more important than ever to shift our focus on kidney health. Kidney diseases are not just limited to people of a certain age group or disposition. It can affect anyone and the best approach towards achieving kidney health would be to engage in awareness initiative and focus on early detection.”
Dr. Avinandan Banerjee echoed similar concerns saying, “Kidney diseases typically remain silent and only manifest as symptoms at a late stage. Hence it is extremely important to focus on early detection as a means to tackling kidney diseases. With India emerging as a center of hypertension and kidney diseases, increasing awareness around it as well as early detection took must be prioritised. Individuals over 60, diabetics, hypertension patients, obese people and patients with a history of heart disease are particularly at a higher risk of developing such issues and should undergo regular kidney function tests.”
The discussion also shed light on preventive steps that individuals can take to safeguard their kidneys. This included having a balanced diet, hydration, controlling blood sugar and blood pressure levels, and using a few over-the-counter painkillers. While there needs to be an emphasis on raising awareness regarding kidney transplantation as a life-saving treatment modality for the end-stage renal disease patients, transplants are generally a last resort. It is important to take preventative measures to inhibit any negative effects on kidney health.
Millions of people around the world suffer from kidney diseases, making awareness and early diagnosis and proactive kidney care essential. CMRI aims to address this need by educating through interactive sessions. Initiates like these encourage individuals to take charge of their kidney health before it is too late.
