Kolkota, India: Chronic Care Foundation (CCF)- and Jubilant Kapataru hospital, Kolkotta organised a one day Round Table on Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) in Kolkotta on 11th September 2010. The participants in the round table are noted physicians in the sector, representatives from the government and leading hospitals of Kolkotta. Dr. Sita Ratna Devi, CEO Chronic Care Foundation, New Delhi said “CCF has launched the National Program For Prevention of Non Communicable Chronic Diseases in 17 states of India where NGOs, private sector partner and government sector have adopted an integrated approach for creating awareness and advocacy on non communicable chronic diseases”. She further said “the fight against non communicable chronic disease would involve an integrated approach utilizing the strength and resources of the NGOs, the government and the corporate sector for creating models at grassroots level”.

This round table is envisaged to: Add evidence to the existing gaps on NCDs in Indian perspective and identify the disease burden, risk factors and the changing trends of NCDs in East Indian population through panel discussion, opinions and experiences from practicing physicians and public health experts.

Dr. Madhumita, Head, Indian Institute of Hygiene and Public Health expressed the need for structured research for creating acceptable database on the burden of non communicable chronic disease in Eastern India. She said “mortality, morbidity, and disability attributable to the major non-communicable diseases account for about 60% of all deaths and 47% of the global burden of disease. Affordable solutions exist to prevent 40 to 50% of premature deaths from non communicable diseases and there was a dire need of creating awareness in the general population on non communicable chronic disease and adoption of healthy lifestyle changes for preventing morbidity and death which are a major socio-economic burden for the society”.

Dr. Satadal Saha, Director & CEO, Kalpataru Hospital said “the private sector has an important role to play in the fight against the non communicable disease and Jubilant Kalpataru Hospital has shown that way by training volunteers, using dedicated ambulances and coordination with the government health delivery system to provide health service to the rural areas”. He also said “private sector can adopt the Public-Private Partnership model to reach the unreached in rural areas”.

Prominent doctors in the field of chronic disease segment of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, end stage renal disease and public health specialists in Kolkata expressed their views on the status of chronic non communicable disease in India with a focus on Eastern India.

Dr. Arup Dutta MBBS, MD, DM-Nephrology- Chief Nephrologist, Fortis Hospitals Kolkata called for structured awareness drive for Diabetes and Hypertension and he further said “the onus of health and healthy lifestyle is on each individual’. He also suggested that “greater insurance penetration and Insurance for outpatient care, insurance for all Dialysis modalities is the need of the hour”.

Dr Kunal Sarkar MBBS, MNMS, FRCS- Senior Consultant Cardiac Surgery, RNTagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences said “Nearly 50 per cent of CVD-related deaths in India occur below the age of 70, compared with just 22 per cent in the West. He said that the general population need to be targeted and the fight against the chronic disease should start at the primary health centre level where models should be created for patient screening and providing them information to make lifestyle changes to fight the disease”.

Dr Tanveer Reza MRCP(Lond.)-Consultant Pulmonologist Columbia Asia Hospital said “smoking and tobacco was the leading cause of death and morbidity due to chronic disease and a sustained campaign with the active involvement of all sections of the society was needed to fight the menace of death and morbidity due to tobacco”. He opined “Smokers need to be provided adequate support system to quit and in case of India, the focus should be on both form of tobacco use-smoking and chewable tobacco”.

The Roundtable Conference of Specialists is one of the four roundtable conference being organized in four regions of India which would culminate in a National Workshop where the recommendations of the Specialists from four regions would be presented to the policy makers for changes in the Pilot Programme on Prevention and Control of Diabetes, CVD and Stroke launched by Government of India.