Faridabad, city hospitals team up to launch liver disease, transplant OPD

Representatives of Amrita Hospital, Faridabad and Deep Hospital, Ludhiana, announced the launch of a dedicated liver disease and transplant OPD at the 250-bed multi-superspeciality facility here on Monday. The initiative is aimed at ensuring that patients suffering from liver disease in the state have access to advanced evaluation, timely consultations and post-transplant follow-up care without having to travel long distances.

The clinic will be led by Dr Shaleen Agarwal, principal consultant and chief of liver transplant and HPB services, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, who brings wide experience in complex hepatobiliary and transplant surgery.

The burden of liver disease in Punjab and North India is rising sharply, making early intervention and specialist guidance more critical than ever. Studies from the PGIMER have reported that nearly 53 per cent of healthy male blood donors in Chandigarh were found to have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), suggesting a far higher prevalence in this region than the national average. A separate Punjab-based study found MAFLD in 62 per cent of obese children from rural areas, highlighting that liver disease was not limited by age. Experts also caution that the problem was compounded by lifestyle-related risks, with recent surveys showing that nearly one in three schoolchildren in the state between the ages of 10 and 16 were overweight or obese — a significant risk factor for fatty liver disease and its complications.

The new OPD in Ludhiana would enable patients to undergo structured evaluation, pre-transplant counselling and systematic referral to Faridabad for advanced surgery and ICU care when needed, while also providing post-operative follow-up closer to home.

Speaking about the launch, Dr Agarwal said, “By bringing an Amrita-led liver transplant OPD to Ludhiana, we are closing the gap between patients and specialised transplant care. Early diagnosis, risk assessment and timely referrals can transform the outcomes for families facing advanced liver disease.” Echoing his views, Dr Baldeep Singh, medical director, Deep Hospital, Ludhiana, said, “This collaboration ensures that patients in Punjab can now access expert liver transplant evaluation locally, without the anxiety and delay of travelling far. We are proud to partner with Amrita Hospital to bring such a critical service closer to the people of this region.”