Nephrology

The World Kidney Day was celebrated by the  Pediatric Nephrology Subdivision on 12th March 2026.The theme for this Year was – “Kidney Health for All: Caring for People, Protecting the Planet.”.

This day, celebrated on the 2nd Thursday of March every year, was inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Dr Jachin Velavan, Associate Director of CMC Rev. Paul Ravikumar, Chaplain, led the programme in prayer, following which Dr. Indira Agarwal gave the welcome address. Dr. David Mathew, Deputy Medical Superintendent, Mrs. Arockiaseeli Mabel Annarani, Deputy Nursing Superintendent, Dr. Sneha Titus, Professor & Head, Pediatric department, Mrs. Mary Anbarasi, Head, Pediatric Nursing, addressed the gathering and gave meaningful messages. Dr. Deepthi. R.V, Associate Professor, Pediatric Nephrology, gave the Vote of Thanks. Prizes for the various competitions held during the week were awarded by the Chief Guest.

The World Kidney Day activities began a week prior, with several competitions being conducted. This included various theme-based events and competitions for posters, drawing, and pamphlet competition and a quiz on renal health – all of which drew a very enthusiastic response from doctors, nursing staff and students. The participation was tremendous, with all participants demonstrating good knowledge of kidney disease. Certificates and prize money were awarded to the first three in each category during the inauguration ceremony.  We also conducted educational programmes in the ward corridor for the parents of children by charge nurses on various topics. All the parents found it very useful; doubts on various aspects of kidney disease were clarified. 

An awareness program in observance of World Kidney Day was conducted on 26th February at Don Bosco High School. The program was organized by the team from Paediatric Nephrology to educate students about healthy diet for kidney health, preventive measures to reduce the risk of kidney diseases, and the importance of a green environment.

The session was led by Dr. Charu, Pediatric nephrology fellow, along with Mrs. Vanitha N, Renal nurse, and Mrs. Jasper, Renal dietician, who started with highlighting the significance of World Kidney Day. Dr. Charumathi delivered an informative presentation explaining symptoms of kidney disease, early detection, and prevention. The session was interactive, and students actively participated by asking questions. Mrs. Vanitha spoke about a healthy environment, and Mrs. Jasper provided nutritious diet education. A total of 250 students attended the program, along with their teaching staff.

The main highlight of the day was a free health check-up for children, which included general evaluation, blood pressure check, and urine examination. The stall set up by the dietary department demonstrated ideal diets and portions for children with different types of kidney diseases and was noted to be the most popular stall. Different techniques to enhance the child’s appetite and to meet the nutritional requirements were demonstrated. The puppet show was also fun to listen to, explaining the early warning signs of kidney disease. There was a special Organ donation drive to register healthy volunteers for donating their organs after death. Some healthy volunteers pledged their various organs for donation. 

This activity has helped to increase awareness about kidney disease in the local community, an event that is held every year! Realising the importance of early screening, eating a healthy diet, regular exercise, and focusing on personal health is a small beginning towards improving kidney health. The World Kidney Day celebrations ended on a very optimistic note.