Young minds learn to combat non-communicable diseases

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 6

The Day 2 of the Junior World Congress at the Christian Medical College commenced with an early morning 3-km cycling event from CMC to Rakhbagh, which was sponsored by Avon Cycles. The cyclothon was held keeping in mind the theme of the Congress ‘Non-Communicable Diseases’ (NCDs). The importance of a healthy lifestyle with adequate exercise was emphasised as the number one approach to combat NCDs.

Academic events began with Padma Shri awardee Dr Mammen Chandy. Dr Chandy is a member of Indian Society of Haematology and Blood Transfusion and American Society of Haematology. He has been conferred with the prestigious Dr BC Roy Award in the field of Eminent Medical Person by the Medical Council of India.

Dr Chandy spoke on ‘Trends in Precision Medicine and Personalised Cancer’. He also emphasised on the role of biotechnology in the field of medicine. Dr Chandy motivated the students about choosing their career paths in medicine.

Among the other speakers were Dr Nihal Thomas (CMC, Vellore), who talked about a much overlooked topic ‘Rare Types of Diabetes Mellitus’, and Dr Derek De Sa (University of British Columbia), who gave a talk on Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN) in children. Workshops on oncology and mental health were also conducted. A mental health workshop named mind matters was conducted by Dr Sangeeta Mahajan, a CMC alumna, who is currently working in London as a consultant anaesthetist.

To add some fun and colour to the event, cultural booths were set up by international delegates from Singapore, Bangladesh, Thailand and others countries, showcasing the rich heritage of their respective nations. The principal of the college, Dr Jeyaraj Pandian, said, “Through our cycling event, we have sought to design a dynamic congress for these young minds where they learn how to combat non-communicable diseases not only in theory but also in practice.”