- The weekly camp is organized Every Thursday
- The camp offers FibroScan screening worth Rs 5,000, for free, to patients who may have liver disease  like Hepatitis B, C, Alcoholic and non alcoholic fatty liver.
Taking another step towards compassionate tertiary patient care, leading multi-speciality healthcare provider Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon, now organizes free weekly FibroScan screening for patients with potential liver diseases.
The hospital has taken the initiative to run the weekly camp for a year. It is open to the public, every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The actual cost of the FibroScan is Rs 5,000 in private hospitals.
The weekly camp will be conducted under the guidance of the gastroenterology team, Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon. It will screen people at risk of liver disease, such as hepatitis, fatty liver (diabetic, alcoholic, non-alcoholic).
FibroScan is a non-invasive method to measure the stiffness of the liver for liver fibrosis (rigidity). The method uses Vibration Controlled Transient Elastography (VCTE, patented by manufacturer ECHOSENS), specifically designed for liver screening. The machine sends sound waves into the liver, causing it to vibrate, thereby measuring scarring (cirrhosis). It is quick, reliable, and easy to perform and it give immediate results.
“India has a very low prevalence of health check-ups and regular screening. This is especially true when it comes to liver disease. Patients may come to a hospital only when the disease has reached a chronic stage, and the symptoms become unbearable. Many people avoid check-ups for fear of the attached costs and expenses on tests, especially those of a diagnostic nature. Therefore, we took the initiative to offer FibroScan screening free of cost. We hope, that through this camp, we will be able to help as many people as possible in early detection of liver disease, so that appropriate measures for cure can be initiated,†said Dr. Rajnish Monga, Senior Gastroenterologist , Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon.
It is necessary for the people undergoing the test to be on an empty stomach (they should not have eaten upto two hours prior to the test). Additionally, this test should not be performed on pregnant women, patients with a pacemaker and those with ascites (accumulation of fluid in the abdomen).
“Owing to unhealthy food habits, excessive alcohol consumption, and a sedentary lifestyle, many people today are living with liver disease. Some of them don’t ever realize it till it is irreversible. Liver diseases are often silent and do not show symptoms. They are diagnosed after they have caused intense damage, as in the case of liver cirrhosis. With this camp, we hope to educate people about possible liver diseases and the importance of diagnostic tests. Each patient will be given a fibrosis interpretation card, which is provided at the time of screening,†added _Dr. Anupkalp, Consultant, Gastroenterologist.
