World Lupus Day: Awareness Seminar Held at Believers Hospital

In observance of World Lupus Day, the Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology at Believers Church Medical College Hospital organised a one-day awareness seminar themed "Make Lupus Visible".

The seminar was inaugurated by Dr. John Valyath, Associate Director of the Hospital and Senior Consultant in Cardiology. Dr. Vishnu S. Chandran, Head of the Department of Rheumatology, led a session on the role of the rheumatologist in the diagnosis and management of lupus. Expert presentations on the various domains affected by the condition — including dermatology, nephrology, and mental health — were delivered by Dr. Nancy Ike, Dr. Rajesh Joseph, and Dr. Chithira Thomas respectively.

The programme also featured an open question-and-answer session, during which patients had the opportunity to direct their queries to the attending physicians, as well as a session dedicated to the sharing of personal experiences. The participating doctors emphasised that the primary objective of such forums is to empower lupus patients to lead fulfilling, ordinary lives through timely and appropriate medical intervention.