At the inauguration of the Rheumatology Week, a virtual week-long initiative by Indian Rheumatology Association (IRA) in association with Integrated Health and Wellbeing (IHW) Council, renowned rheumatologists from all over India have expressed their concern on the lack of specialists treating rheumatic diseases that affect one-fourth of Indians. They said that rheumatic diseases can not only cause pain and disability but shorten the lifespan of both men and women. The experts gathered on the occasion focused on making people aware about three major rheumatologic diseases: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis & Systemic Lupus Erythematous (SLE).
The speakers pointed out that the rheumatic diseases should come under the Prime Minister’s Ayushman Bharat scheme so that more people can get treated. Among the dignitaries there were Dr. Prof. Alakendu Ghosh (President of Indian Rheumatology Association and Head of Department, Rheumatology, IPGMER, SSKM Hospital, Kolkata), Dr Prof. Debashish Danda (Founder of Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology, CMC, Vellore and President-Elect of the Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology), Dr K M Mahendranath (Senior Consultant Rheumatologist, Samarpan Arthritis and Rheumatology) and Mr Kamal Narayan (CEO, Integrated Health and Well being Council).
