AIIMS Bhopal continues to undertake various initiatives to promote health awareness and improve healthcare services. In this direction, the Department of Pediatrics at the institute organized a special program on the occasion of World Kidney Day (12 March) to raise awareness about kidney health among children and their families.

The theme for this year was “Kidney Health for All: Caring for People, Protecting the Planet”, which emphasizes the need for collective efforts by governments, healthcare institutions, and communities to improve kidney care. Chronic kidney disease is a rapidly growing global health problem, affecting nearly one in ten people worldwide. Recently, at the 78th World Health Assembly, the World Health Organization adopted its first resolution dedicated to kidney disease and recognized World Kidney Day as an important global observance.

The program began with a welcome address by Dr. Shikha Malik (Professor and Head, Department of Pediatrics). She said that the expansion of pediatric services reflects the department’s collective commitment to improving child healthcare. She also encouraged parents of children suffering from kidney diseases to remain positive and actively participate in the care of their children.

On this occasion, Dr. Girish Chandra Bhatt (Professor, Pediatric Nephrology) shared the progress of pediatric nephrology services at the institute. He informed that AIIMS Bhopal has established the first Pediatric Dialysis Unit in Madhya Pradesh, where hemodialysis facilities are available for children. He also highlighted the importance of home-based treatment options such as peritoneal dialysis, which is convenient for children and also promotes the concept of green dialysis.

He informed that in the past one year, more than 4200 OPD consultations have been recorded in this specialty clinic. In addition, more than 1000 hemodialysis sessions and over 120 plasma exchange procedures have been conducted. The department has also trained more than 10 parents to perform peritoneal dialysis for their children at home. He also highlighted that the first DM course in Pediatric Nephrology in the state, along with international fellowship programs and teaching courses, are also being conducted.

On this occasion, Prof. (Dr.) Vikas Gupta (Medical Superintendent) assured administrative support to further strengthen pediatric nephrology services and spoke about future plans to expand pediatric kidney transplantation services.

On this occasion, Prof. (Dr.) Madhabananda Kar (Executive Director and CEO, AIIMS Bhopal) also launched “Vrikkankit 2.0”, a personalized medical record to support the long-term care of children suffering from kidney diseases. He said that AIIMS Bhopal is committed to providing quality healthcare with empathy and will further expand services and training programs in collaboration with the state and other health organizations.

As part of World Kidney Week, several activities were organized from 9 to 12 March 2026, including quizzes for postgraduate, undergraduate, and nursing officers, drawing competitions for children, cultural programs, and awareness talks in OPD areas and schools. Winners of the competitions were felicitated during the program, and parents also shared their experiences with the department.

Faculty members from the Department of Pediatrics including Prof. Dr. Mahesh Maheshwari, Prof. Dr. Bhavna Dhingra, Dr. Keerti Swarnkar, Dr. Narendra Chaudhary, Dr. Amber Kumar, and Dr. Yogendra Kumar were present during the program. Faculty members from other departments including Dr. Pramod Sharma, Dr. Reyaz Ahmed, Dr. Roshan Chanchlani, Dr. Ketan Mehra, Dr. Deepa Singh, and Dr. Romesh Jain also attended the event.

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