Kolhapur: "Proper nutrition is the key to tackle anaemia . Patients should not depend on traditional medicines to cure the blood disorder," said haematologist Abhijeet Ganpule.The Kolhapur chapter of the Geriatric Society of India (GSI) on Sunday conducted a workshop for doctors and senior citizens to spread awareness about anaemia.The organisation periodically carries out such seminars and workshops for a variety of ailments.Recently, workshops on eye disorder and mental disorder were carried out. In the next few months, the association will be organizing a workshop on joint replacement.Ganpule said, "Senior citizens should consume the right amount of iron required every day. Eating vegetables can be very helpful in curing the disease. Most of the time, patients discontinue taking iron and folic acid tablets before they get results. Those with low haemoglobin level should take the tablets for three to six months to replenish the iron required to increase haemoglobin content of the blood."Ganpule also said the reasons for the disease and the age of the patients may vary, but the medicines to treat anaemia are the same.Government hospitals provide iron and folic acid tablets free of charge, as the number of patients suffering from anaemia is on the rise.At the seminar, senior citizens asked Ganpule whether products such as Loha-Bhasma (iron-powder) are helpful in curing the disorder. The expert said that Loha-Bhasma does not have the correct amount of iron required by the body. Hence, patients should not risk their lives by consuming it.The daily requirement of iron for an adult is around 5 mg every day, which can be met by consuming tablets and raw vegetables.Anand Kamat, president of the Kolhapur chapter of GSI said, "The seminar was followed by free blood count and uric acid check-ups. Over 100 senior citizens participated in the check-up camp. Every year the response for the workshops and seminars organised by GSI keeps increasing."

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