Shajin Thankaraj, INMED Graduate physician, studies thiamine deficiency (beriberi) disorders at Makunda Christian Leprosy and General Hospital in Assam, northeast India. Dr. Thankaraj serves with Emmanuel Hospital Association at this remote, rural health facility. His research publication, Infantile Cardiac Beriberi in Rural North East India, appears in the journal Indian Pediatrics.
Says Dr. Thankaraj, “Two case studies, one of an infant with cardiac beriberi and the other of a nonalcoholic adult presenting with peripheral neuropathy, cardiomyopathy, and metabolic acidosis and responding to thiamine supplementation, are described in detail. We share our experience with these clinical entities over the past two decades, including recent research and lessons learned, and suggest ways forward to identify at‐risk populations in Northeast India, improve early diagnosis and treatment, and promote preventive public health strategies.”
Just two months ago, Dr. Thankaraj’s follow up thiamine deficiency research – The rediscovery of thiamine deficiency disorders at a secondary level mission hospital in Northeast India – was published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. These are glowing tributes to Dr. Thankaraj’s model serve to the humanity of India.