“From stones to solutions: shedding light on urinary stone disease and empowering the communities against it”
Gulf Medical University students organized an educational event to raise awareness about Urinary Stone Disease on May 7th, 2024. As this was an interprofessional activity, students from multiple programs such as medicine, nursing, dentistry, physiotherapy, medical imaging, and biomedical sciences worked hand-in-hand to ensure a successful and well-planned event. The students believed that dedicating their time to organizing events like community engagement can have a positive impact on the community and lead to the well-being of our communities.
The event focused on key objectives which included educating the attendees about the basic anatomy of the urinary system, students tried to highlight the prevalence of the stone disease, the common symptoms, vulnerable populations who are mostly affected by it, the effective management methods by which the disease will be prevented and treated, and lastly, the myths and alternative treatments which are used. The event was supervised by Dr. Jayadevan Sreedharan, Dr. Ishan Ulla Khan, Urologist, Dr. Rajaram Jagdale, Nephrologist, Dr. Jayakumary Muttappallymyalil, Dr. Liju Susan Mathew, Dr. Neermeen, Dr. Sana Fathima, and Dr. Mehzabin Ahmed. The invaluable expertise and guidance from the facilitators played an essential role in guaranteeing a flawless execution of the event which promoted an environment of learning and engagement among the participants.
Urinary stone disease is a condition which is characterized by the presence of calculi or stones which are made of many chemical compositions in the urinary system which includes the kidney, bladder, and ureter. Urolithiasis is a prevalent condition with the rates in North America ranging from 7 to 13%, 5-9% in Europe, and 1-5% in Asia. USD is associated with other conditions such as low bone mineral density, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and many others. USD affects 1 in 11 people in their lifetime. Apart from that, the management of stones is costly due to the high incidence of new and recurrent stones. Many factors such as body weight, diet, and medications can contribute to urinary stone diseases and most people are either unaware of this situation or neglect it due to their busy schedule. A lifestyle change can prevent many such cases of the disease. The need for increasing awareness of the urinary stone disease among the people made this event an important intervention.
A feedback survey conducted among the participants revealed overwhelmingly positive responses. All participants agreed that the event significantly enhanced their roles as communicators, collaborators, problem solvers, and health promoters while improving their ability to overcome communication barriers with various groups. Around 99% of participants reported that the event met their expectations and was satisfactory.
“Community Engagement and Social Accountability is an integral part of GMU’s vision and mission, and I believe that the University should serve the immediate community in which it exists”, reflected Prof. Manda Venkatraman, Vice Chancellor Academics and Dean, College of Medicine, who is also the Chairman of the Community Engagement Committee of Gulf Medical University.
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