SRINAGAR: The Department of Dermatology, Venereology & Leprosy, Government Medical College Srinagar, organized a CME on Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) in collaboration with Hereditary Angioedema Society of India (HAESI) and Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists (IADVL) J&K chapter.

The CME was inaugurated by the Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Dr Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, while Professor Dr Iffat Hassan, Principal GMC Srinagar was the guest of honour.

Other dignitaries, present on the occasion, included Professor Dr. Sunil Dogra, President HAESI, Administrator Associated Hospitals, Mohammad Ashraf Hakak, Dr Yasmeen Jabeen, Head of the Department and President Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists & Leprologists (IADVL) J&K, Dr Ankur Jindal, General Secretary HAESI and Dr Shagufta Rather, General Secretary, IADVL, J&K.

The Secretary stressed on the need of conducting such informative CMEs on regular intervals.

The CME was attended by about 200 delegates including the residents and faculty from all departments of GMC Srinagar and other medical colleges of J&K.

The lectures deliberated upon by the faculty from PGIMER Chandigarh, GMC Srinagar and other medical colleges, SKIMS and Directorate of Health Services Kashmir besides hundreds of medical students also participated in the event.

Prof Sunil Dogra said that this society was established to raise awareness about HAE among health care providers in the country and improve access to effective treatment in patients suffering from this life-threatening disease.

He said that HAE patients manifest episodic asymmetric non gravitational slow evolving swellings lasting for 3-5 days generally involving face, hands, feet, genitals, lips, eyes and often involve internal organs like gastrointestinal and respiratory system. As this is a rare and orphan disease, many patients are not diagnosed at time due to low awareness among health care professionals and lack diagnostic facilities in many places. Patients may succumb to disease due to acute laryngeal edema (choking) for which commonly used anti allergy medications and steroids do not work. There is a ray of hope for patients suffering from HAE as new treatments are now becoming available in India.

However, it needs support from health care authorities and policy makers as these are very expensive for patients to afford. Dr Dogra said that over the last 3 years HAESI has conducted some CMEs and workshops at J&K on HAE.

More than 50 patients have been diagnosed in families from Jammu, Kashmir and Reasi district. Their diagnosis was established by advance genetic testing at ACARE centre of excellence at PGI Chandigarh.

The CME included numerous informative sessions with emphasis on diagnosis and management of HAE. The need for availability of the necessary investigations and medications in the institution for the benefit of such patients was stressed upon.