World Liver Day: “To Quit Alcohol, Prioritize a Bigger Task,” Bharat Express’ Chief At Institute of Liver & Biliary Sciences

The second edition of India Liver Health Summit has been organized on the occasion of World Liver Day at the APJ Abdul Kalam Auditorium, Institute of Liver & Biliary Sciences  (ILBS) today i.e. on Wednesday. The summit has been held to create awareness about liver health and diseases. During the summit, several renowned guests graced the event with their presence including Upendrra Rai, CMD and Editor-in-chief of Bharat Express News Network, and Dr Ashok Chauhan, president, of Amity Education Group as the guest of honours whereas Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi was there as the chief guest.

Bharat Express’ Chief attended the event as ‘Guest of Honour’ and a keynote speaker. During the event, the senior journalist shared his nostalgia with the gathering, “Today, on the occasion of World Liver Day, I would like to share that when this institute (ILBS) was started, at that time my mother was severely ill. I switched several doctors but still was unaware of what she is suffering from.

Whilst, I was talking to people regarding the same, one of the IAS officers, who is just like my elder brother, said you take this number and I will speak to Dr. Shiv Sarin. At that time, the doctor was abroad for a conference. But I admitted my mother and this was possible because of him and she finally got her treatment done and was cured. It wasn’t even a year since ILBS started, since then I have been a part of this family. This could happen only because Dr. SK Sarin is associated with this institute.”

Further, the Chairman, MD, and Editor-in-Chief of Bharat Express News Network expressed his concerns about alcohol consumption, he said, “Since I come from a village where I spent my childhood. In those days there were selective people who used to drink alcohol but now things have changed. If I go to the same place again, there won’t be any house left where alcohol isn’t consumed. There is barely a boy who doesn’t drink. You all will be surprised to know that nowadays the percentage of people consuming alcohol in villages is more than that in urban areas. Almost 17% of the urban population consumes alcohol whereas, in villages, it went up to 20%.”

Senior journalist Upendrra Rai also stressed his concerns over changes in time and personalities prevailing in society. “Consumption of alcohol and liquor has become a trend in today’s scenario even in villages. No party or wedding is completed without serving alcohol. If not arranged, that event will surely be called a flop,” he added.

While citing how a person can quit drinking, the chairman said, “If someone wants to quit drinking and insists on quitting, he will never be able to do that. Yet, you will be able to leave it, how? Just for one reason, that alcohol is a stage in your life, then make a bigger stage than that. So, what can be that big stage? You go out for 10 kilometers… If you want to fight against alcohol then do big things. In the morning, sit on meditation for an hour or two, and start listening to intellectual people in the morning, listening to whom tingles your heart and mind. If you smoke cigarettes, you will never be able to quit, if you are repeatedly talking about quitting. Quitting will start on the day you start doing bigger work than cigarettes, abstinence from alcohol will happen the day you start doing bigger work than alcohol.”

The key highlight of this summit was Project PLAY-SAFE (Protecting Liver against Alcohol in Youth: Enhancing Societal and familial awareness in ALD), a groundbreaking campaign aimed at raising awareness about the prevention, early identification, and management of Alcohol-related Liver Disease (ALD).