Actor Kamal Haasan launches new website to address kidney disease in India
Website to contain comprehensive information for Indian patients on detection, intervention and monitoring of Chronic Kidney Disease
-- Balaji Medical & Education Trust, the association working towards helping kidney failure patients and their families, has created the first of its kind kidney disease education website known as www.sugarbp.org. The website was launched at a function held at the Raintree Hotel in the presence of renowned actor Padma Shri Dr. Kamal Haasan and Dr. Rajan Ravichandran, Director, MIOT Institute of Nephrology, Chennai.
The website is aimed at generating awareness about the relation between chronic kidney disease, diabetes and hypertension. This initiative of Balaji Medical & Education Trust will help in creating alertness about chronic kidney disease among the general public. The website intends to provide information and education specific to Indian patients, unlike most websites which primarily caters to western audience and do not have any relativity in the Indian context.
According to Dr. Rajan Ravichandran, “Diabetes and hypertension both can lead to chronic kidney disease. Therefore the website becomes all the more crucial for patients suffering from these diseases. It can help in dealing with the chronic kidney disease in the early stages and stop the progression of a possible kidney failure.”
Speaking on the occasion Dr. Kamal Haasan said, “I am honored to be a part of such an initiative which would act as an important tool in spreading awareness about prevention of kidney disease. I urge all people to go for regular preventive health check ups to identify any possible chronic ailments. Preventive measures can help avoid the patients and their families from going through the burden of diseases like kidney failure, diabetes and heart problems.”
Chronic Kidney Disease usually does not show any signs in the early stages because of the body’s adaptation leading to absence of early symptoms. By the time the symptoms emerge, the patient usually requires complicated and costly medical treatment. SugarBp.org has been created to reinforce the importance of preventive measures that should be adopted to detect early signs of kidney disease.
Dr. Rajan Ravichandran further said, “More and more patients are prone to chronic kidney disease in the country as India has become the diabetic capital of the world. Sadly most patients are unaware that they suffer from chronic kidney disease. Preventive measures are the key to fight with the burden of kidney disease. ”
Notes to Editor
About Balaji Medical & Educational Trust
The Balaji Medical and Educational Trust was set up in November 1997 in Chennai with a view to help kidney failure patients and their families. Trust has 5 dialysis machines which is used to provide concessional dialysis to economically-weak patients. To diagnose early kidney problems among the unsuspecting populace, the Trust has been holding ‘Nephrology Camps', in and around Chennai. The trust has embarked on a wide awareness program named as "Early Disease Programme" envisaged to spread the message on prevention of kidney disease by mass media.
The Trust welcomes support of any kind. The financial donations to the trust are eligible for deductions under sec. 80G of IT act. The trust is approved by Government of India to receive foreign contribution under FCRA 1976.