 |
| From left to right - Dr Madhur M Pardasani, Dr Rohit Mehtani, Dr Shaleen Agarwal, Dr H S Saluja, Dr Pankaj Sihag and Mr Sandeep Kataria |
Ludhiana, 04 October 2025 (News Team): Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, in collaboration with Deep Hospital, Ludhiana, today announced the launch of a dedicated Liver Disease & Transplant OPD at the 250-bed multi super speciality facility in Ludhiana. The initiative is aimed at ensuring that patients in Punjab suffering from liver disease have access to advanced evaluation, timely consultations, and post-transplant follow-up care without having to travel long distances for specialised services. The clinic will be led by Dr.Shaleen Agarwal, Principal Consultant & Chief of Liver Transplant & HPB Services, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, who brings wide experience in complex hepatobiliary and transplant surgery.
The burden of liver disease in Punjab and North India is rising sharply, making early intervention and specialist guidance more critical than ever. Studies from PGIMER have reported that nearly 53 percent of healthy male blood donors in Chandigarh were found to have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD), suggesting a far higher prevalence in this region than the national average. A separate Punjab-based study found MAFLD in 62 percent of obese children from rural areas, highlighting that liver disease is not limited by age. Experts also caution that the problem is compounded by lifestyle-related risks, with recent surveys showing that nearly one in three schoolchildren in Punjab between the ages of 10 and 16 are overweight or obese — a significant risk factor for fatty liver disease and its complications. These figures demonstrate how liver disease affects both children and adults, irrespective of gender, often triggered by obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, alcohol consumption, or sedentary lifestyles.
At the same time, the number of liver transplants performed in Punjab remains relatively low. Reports indicate that in 2024, only a handful of liver transplants were conducted in the state, with most patients having to seek advanced surgical care outside Punjab. This underscores the importance of bringing specialist services closer to communities, so that early evaluation, counselling, and post-operative follow-up become more convenient.
Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, has emerged as a leader in liver transplantation and advanced hepatology services, offering procedures such as live donor and cadaveric liver transplants, transplant for select advanced liver cancers, and blood-group mismatched donor liver transplants. The new OPD in Ludhiana will enable patients to undergo structured evaluation, pre-transplant counselling, and systematic referral to Faridabad for advanced surgery and ICU care when needed, while also providing post-operative follow-up closer to home.
Speaking about the launch, Dr.Shaleen Agarwal, Principal Consultant & Chief of Liver Transplant & HPB Services, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, said, “By bringing an Amrita-led Liver Transplant OPD to Ludhiana, we are closing the gap between patients and specialised transplant care. Early diagnosis, risk assessment and timely referrals can transform the outcomes for families facing advanced liver disease.”
Echoing his views, Dr.Baldeep Singh, Medical Director, Deep Hospital, Ludhiana, said, “This collaboration ensures that patients in Punjab can now access expert liver transplant evaluation locally, without the anxiety and delay of travelling far. We are proud to partner with Amrita Hospital to bring such a critical service closer to the people of this region.”
The Liver Disease & Transplant OPD at Deep Hospital will function on the second Friday and fourth Monday of every month, between 12 noon and 2 pm. For appointments, patients may call 9653845070.