Events of 2020

One of the major events annually for GI Rendezvous every year is creating awareness for Hepatitis. World Hepatitis Day, 29th of July 2020 awareness drive by GI Rendezvous (web talk and information video – Dr. Gurbilas P. Singh) in collaboration with Gastroenterology and Liver Forum, Chandigarh.

Doctors screen cops for liver diseases. Taking up cudgels against liver ailments for the last 5 years, GI Rendezvous took up a special cause of screening cops with history of Diabetes, raised body mass index, viral hepatitis infection or alcohol intake. The purpose of doing so is to try and identify the population which may be at risk of Cirrhosis (chronic and irreversible liver disease) which causes life threatening complications and also compromises the quality of life severely.

World Hepatitis Day is commemorated each year on 28 July to enhance awareness of viral hepatitis that causes a range of health problems, including Cirrhosis and liver cancer. Cirrhosis itself leads to life threatening complications like blood vomiting, accumulation of fluid in tummy and coma, all responsible for reducing the life span of an affected individual. Diabetes Mellitus and being overweight also significantly add to the risk of Cirrhosis.  There are five causes of viral hepatitis namely – A, B, C, D and E. While the most common cause of cirrhosis remains alcohol, hepatitis B and C are the other common cause of Cirrhosis and liver cancer, to which 1.3 million lives are lost each year. These diseases are in particular relevant to the northern states of India. 

GI Rendezvous has been doing a great job in making doctors as well as general population aware of this disease and their complications in the region for the past five years. In light of the current COVID 19 pandemic and in line with this years theme of “Hepatitis-free future”, the organisation in collaboration with Sarvhit Gastrocity (Dr.’S Amitabh Mohan Jerath, Dr. Jagtesh S. Sidhu, Dr Vikas Gupta and Dr. Ravinder Singh), has arranged this special screening camp particularly for the police force to laud their efforts of going beyond duty in helping the populace during such difficult times. Sarvhit Gastrocity is a leading Gastrosciences and liver diseases specialist centre and the doctors here have been working tirelessly in raising awareness and treating patients with related ailments.

GI Rendezvous along with a voluntary organisation had prepared a documentary on “Hepatitis C” which not only had the distinction of being screened at the International meeting of specialists in Calcutta in December 2019 but also winning an award. This documentary has also been widely screened in Punjab and the cohesive efforts have led to a crusade against these viral infections targeting the liver.