President, Nagaland Medical Council (NMC), Dr. LM Murry (centre) along with medical experts and doctors at the 22nd annual conference of North Eastern Diabetes Society, Saturday. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 11
President of Nagaland Medical Council (NMC), Dr. LM Murry today said it is one of the anachronisms of the modern age that a civilization that has successfully split the atom and discovered DNA, has still to conquer diabetes.
“There has been a plethora of writings on both clinical and pharmacological research, yet its (diabetes) complete cure has eluded us. So far all that we have is merely to improve the quality of life for those afflicted by this disease,” Dr. Murry said in his address at the inaugural programme of the 22nd annual conference of North Eastern Diabetes Society (NEDSCON 2017).
The two-day NEDSCON (November 11 & 12) is being held for the first time in Nagaland here at Niathu Resort, attended by medical specialists and experts from all over the country.
Murry, one of the senior most retired surgeons among the Nagas, said in earlier times when he started his medical practice diabetes was relatively rare among Naga people and the local usually termed diabetes as a disease of the ‘Marwaris’, but now the disease has become common among Nagas too.
He stated despite all medical advancement, it is a setback that humankind is still groping in the dark to find a cure to the disease. He however said one should not be discouraged but continue to struggle and endeavour to find the ultimate cure.
Murry expressed optimism that with advancement in the medical frontiers, including replacement of organ transplant by artificial organs and robotic surgery, there is still hope for humankind from the scourge of diabetes.
“Is any attempt being made to produce artificial pancreas? If that is successful, diabetes will be conquered,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr. A Loso Chalai, MBBS, MD (General Medicine), consultant physician and former physician to Governor of Nagaland in his PowerPoint presentation pointed out that among the North East States, ICMR-INDIAB survey showed that Tripura has the highest percentage of diabetes case with 9.4% followed by Mizoram 5.8%, Assam 5.5%, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Nagaland at 5.1% and Meghalaya at 4.5%.
Highlighting the scenario of diabetes in Nagaland, he mentioned that hospital and clinic records show that diabetes is on the rapid rise. In 2016, at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima, out of the total OPD patients of 1,17,246, diabetes cases were 1,298 (1.11%); at CIHSR (Referral Hospital), it was 1011 cases (0.86%) out of 1,16,920 OPD cases. At Metro Hospital, incidence of diabetes cases attending OPD was 31.25 %, he informed.
NEDS president, Prof. Dr. Sanjeeb Kakati, presented the keynote address, NEDS secretary, Dr. Debomallya Bhuya, highlighted the activities of NEDS and Dr. K Hesso, chairperson, organizing committee NEDSCON 2017, delivered welcome address. Organizing secretary, NEDSCON 2017, Dr. Ngopelo Keviechu, proposed vote of thanks.
Earlier in the plenary session, a host of medical luminaries and doctors presented papers on diabetes including diabetes scenario in Nagaland, obesity and metabolic syndrome, diabetes and hypertension, diabetes in young and diet in diabetes.
