‘You need not be a doctor to save a life; be an organ donor and spread happiness’

‘You need not be a doctor to save a life; be an organ donor and spread happiness’

Dr Ashok Choudhury, associate professor of Hepatology and liver transplantation at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, is a multitalented personality,juggling several roles of a clinician, academician, researcher and social activist. With several national and international awards as well as over 40 articles in reputed journals to his credit, this alumnusof SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack shares his concerns over growing burden of liver diseases and obesity in the country. Excerpts of his conversation with My City Links.

You Have Had A Distinguished Career As A Clinician And Researcher. Tell Us About Your Journey.

I was born to a middle class family at Pathuripada village near Banki in Cuttack district. I did my schooling at my village and then pursued MBBS and MD Medicine from SCB Medical College, Cuttack. In 2011, I joined superspeciality training in hepatology (the field of liver diseases) at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi.I started teaching at the institute in 2014 and was promoted to associate professor in hepatology and liver transplant. I also got training on transplant and critical care at Kings College London and Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA. At present, I am working as a clinician, teacher, researcher/scientist and endoscopist as well as critical care specialist with focus on managing liver transplant patients.

Who Or What Inspired You To Choose This Noble Profession?

In school, I used to be good student. The teacher used to tell us how a doctor provided the best social service with his dedication and determination. But living in a village, I had little exposure to the outside world. Then, one of my school friends died of snakebite at the age of nine years. It was simply because of ignorance on how to manage a snake bite. Both these things inspired me, first to be a doctor and second to create awareness and spread health education for the common man. I chose this profession as it was the best option to fulfil my wishes. My parents, my brother and sister also supported my dream to become a doctor.

You Are A Very Busy Doctor. So, How Do You Manage Time To Do Social Work, Particularly In Creating Awareness About Liver Diseases?

Where there is a will, there is a way. That’s the simple answer. And I strongly believe that no one is too busy; it all depends on your priorities. I used to sleep for only four to five hours a day. This has been the case for the past eight years. My hectic job as a doctor takes 12 hours a day, and then research work and publications make me burn the midnight candle daily. But whenever I get some time, I leave no stone unturned to devote myselfto the welfare of society and social causes. Besides my family, my wife Dr Bishnupriya is the main pillar of support in my life.It is because of her that I am able to balance and manage so many responsibilities simultaneously.

Please Share Some Of Your Good And Bad Professional Experiences With Us.

I am friendly with my patients and hence spend more time with each of them and their families.For this, they never forget to remember me in both good and bad times. This is the best reward that I got in my life. The patients also amply compliment me by saying that half of their disease was cured after interacting with me. In the job space, I got the best a budding doctor can get in terms of research and academics. Because of this, I received a lot of national and international recognition, which is a good thing for me.

However, sometimes I feel lonely and isolated due to work burden and my profession forces me to be away from my family, which is the worst part of my life. Another pertains to patient care, i.e. we are doctors, not God; even with the best care,a patient may not improve. But ultimately,the doctor gets the blame. No one understands how much I am there with you by keeping my family away, how many nights I have worked without sleep and how many lunches I have skipped. So I believe in “I care, He cures”.

You Have Won Many Prestigious Awards, Visited More Than 10 Countries, And Contributed More Than 40 rRsearch Articles To Various Journals On Liver Disease And Hepatitis. What Is Your Take?

For all these recognitions and awards, I would like thankLord Jagannath.It is all due to his grace that I have achieved these things.

Is It True That Hepatitis/Liver Disease Has Increased In India In The Past 10 Years?

Yes. This is due to the detection of more and more cases of liver disease. Coming to hepatitis, 4.5 crore people in India suffer from hepatitis B and 0.5 crore from hepatitis C. Now, we see frequent outbreaks of jaundice due to the hepatitis A&E virus and often due to unhygienic food and water. Detection of hepatitis at an earlier stage is good, because most of the disease remain asymptomatic. Left undiagnosed, most hepatitis cases can later lead to cirrhosis and/or cancer, which are fatal.

Doctors Say Hepatitis Is Mainly Transmitted From Mother To Child. How Can It Be Prevented?

Interestingly, about 80% of hepatitis B patients, be it a newborn, child or an adult, have this problem without their fault. This is most ironical! Hepatitis B is transmitted from mother to the foetus during pregnancy and immediately during delivery. The best preventionsare vaccination for all adults, testing all pregnant women (it’s mandatory and free now), receive medications (safe during pregnancy, without any side effects to baby) and vaccination of the newborn (within 12 hours of delivery), and ensure all deliveries take place in a hospital.

Now, the hepatitis B vaccine is given free of cost by the government under Indradhanush Project. The vaccine will be effective if taken properly and in full dose (three doses—start, after one month and after six months).

Is Hepatitis Curable?Are The Treatments Different For Hepatitis B and C?

Yes, hepatitis is very much curable. Hepatitis Cis mostly transmitted by contaminated syringe and blood transfusion, and can be prevented by promotingsafe-injection practice (single use), blood testing before transfusion and surgery. One should also have protected sex and avoid going for tattoo/body piercing. It can be cured after three to six months of treatment. However, no vaccine is available for hepatitis C as yet. Hepatitis B is also curable but needs long-term treatment, unlike hepatitis C. Hepatitis B can be very much prevented by compulsory vaccination for all and care of pregnant women,

Obesity Is Reportedly Increasing And Is Now The Leading Cause For Liver Diseases. Is It True?

Yes, the problem of obesity has been steadily increasing in the country. At present, 25% of the people (i.e. every fourth Indian) are overweight. Obesity leads to heart, kidney, joint and many other diseases. Particularly, obesity leading to fatty liver and subsequent cirrhosis is now a growing concern. And the problem is expected to get worse as obesity is increasing due to urbanization, economic improvement and sedentary lifestyle due to modern technology and internet. Furthermore, obesity among children and adolescents is also rising rapidly, making the younger generation vulnerable to the risk of living a long life with poor quality.

What Are Your Views On Organ Donation?

After a disease has gone beyond control, transplant is the only treatment to improve survival rate.  After a person’s death, organs are of no use, but they can save someone else’s life, if used judiciously. This is at no extra cost. You need not be a doctor to save someone’s life; be an organ donor and spread health and happiness. In India 200,000 people need a new kidney every year and 100,000 need a new liver, but only 2% to 3% of the demand fornew organs is met. Finding a suitable donor, making the family members accept that their loved one is brain dead and religious sentiments make things more complicated.This is mainly due to the lack of awareness and organized policy. We need to understand and take a pledge for organ donation today itself.

Being An Odia, You Always Guide And Support Odia People When They Come To Delhi For Treatment. Any Plans To Go Back To Odisha And Serve The State?

Yes, definitely. Though I am based in Delhi, my heart lies with my homeland. I find pleasure in helping anOdia patient who has come all the way from Odisha to receive better treatment and to get relief from his/her ailment.

What Are Your Plans For The Future?

My mission is to help India and Odisha become free of or with minimum burden of liver diseases. I have started awareness campaigns for hepatitis prevention, lifestyle modificationsand weight reduction, prevention of alcohol intake and to promote organ donation by interactive sessions, classroom teaching, TV shows, and short plays/movies and through books or flyers. My dream is to set up an advanced centre in Odisha with the latest technologies to deal with liver ailments, i.e. from medicines to transplants under one roof,and which should be affordable to the common man so that people from Odisha need not go outside for treatment. Another aim is to ensure the participation of policy makers and industries to reduce the cost or provide free treatment. Organ donation programme should be active and help needy people in other states like Tamil Nadu.