First IMA General Body meet after election

Tue, Apr 7, 2015 at 3:09 PM

The meeting was followed by an academic session

Ludhiana: 7 April 2015: (Punjab Screen Bureau):

After the hectic IMA Ludhiana election activity last month the new team of executive members took charge in a well attended General Body Meeting on 6^th April at the IMA House auditorium. The always calm and smiling Dr. Ajit Singh Chawla welcomed the members. The din of elections being over the doctors sat together to discuss various issues concerning the fraternity and welfare of the patients and the society.

The meeting was followed by an academic session where Dr. Ajit Sood and Dr Pradeep Kapoor updated the doctors about Hepatitis C and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Dr Sood of Dayanand Medical College informed that hepatitis C, a viral infection usually transmitted by blood is becoming more rampant and high risk patients include intravenous drug users, men and women receiving blood transfusions or dialysis, patients with an impaired immune system such as HIV patients and individuals who received tattoos with non steriled equipment. Additionally, the disease may be seen in health care workers who were exposed to the virus as part of their duty during service to patients. There is a clear cut change in the protocol to test and treat hepatitis C patients. It is important to detect the disease early because the virus can lead to chronic liver disease, liver failure and liver cancer – all of which can be prevented with the treatments now available.

Another important topic discussed was heart disease in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients. Emerging evidence shows that the lung disease is more in smokers and is linked with increased heart disease. The heart disease is often overlooked and may be difficult to detect as both cause breathlessness. An alert doctor can detect it early, said Dr Pardeep Kapoor, a senior consultant and Head of Chest Disease department of Mohandai Oswal Hospital. Many large scale studies solidify the link between COPD and cardiovascular disease, and studies indicate the efficacy of inhaled steroids and other drugs in treating COPD and reducing cardiovascular risk.

Dr P. S. Jassal, Secretary of IMA Ludhiana said IMA will strive to advance health and as part of our mission, we are committed to provide regular Continuing Medical Education (CME) events for doctors of the city. These events aim to provide the latest and relevant clinical updates practical for patient care. The meeting was attended by Dr. Manoj Sobti, Dr. Kulwant Singh, Dr Sanjeev Uppal, Dr Sadana, Dr Batra, Dr Sibia and others.