Pune: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Pune, a peer-led mutual-aid fellowship, recently organized an awareness event on alcoholism for healthcare professionals at PMC's Galande Patil Hospital in Shastri Nagar on Monday. Members of the fellowship presented the organization's history and recovery programme, while medical experts discussed their experiences on alcoholism, addressing denial patterns and relapse prevention strategies. Medical experts including PMC deputy health officer Dr Kalpana Baliwant and zonal medical officer Dr Rekha Galande, Dr Nishikant Thorat, nodal officer of the addiction treatment facility at Sassoon General Hospital and senior psychiatrist Dr Ashwini Kulkarni participated in the programme.
The session concluded with healthcare professionals being encouraged to refer patients to AA support groups following medical or psychiatric treatment. Consultant psychiatrist from regional mental hospital, Yerawada, Dr Amit Mane and Dwijen Smart, an addiction treatment facility owner, were also among the key speakers..