Interview with Dr. Suren Budhan, director of the new ODHIR department – Obesity, Diabetes, Hypertension, Renal Insufficiency – at the Clinique Mauricienne à Réduit, dedicated to the management of said metabolic diseases.
Delphine Raimond
Three decades of collaboration unite Dr. Budhan, who has been practicing on La Réunion for many years, and the eminent French professor Philippe Froguel*, the bearer of a major medical discovery serving the personalized monitoring and treatment of diabetes in Mauritius. In 2015, research on the sister island led to the identification of several genes, including four linked to kidney failure, two to diabetes, one to obesity and one to kidney stones. “Thanks to this expertise, which combines a precision medicine approach with studies carried out on Reunion’s multi-ethnic population, we can approach the case of Mauritius with a better understanding,” says Dr Budhan.
Innovative in many areas, the Clinique Mauricienne (currently undergoing major renovations) aims to make current medical technology accessible to the general public. The ODHIR unit, comprising a multidisciplinary team of doctors, dieticians, nurses and other experts in renal and cardiovascular complications, will be equipped with a platform enabling local practitioners to access, via telemedicine, the cutting-edge expertise of the PreciDIAB service in Lille. A technology transfer is envisaged, with the Lille genomics platform, headed by Dr. Amélie Bonnefond, assuming financial responsibility for genetic diagnostics. Healthcare professionals, particularly doctors, will also be trained in this innovative approach. “We will use technology to monitor patients and improve self-care, using connected devices that are already available,” continues Dr. Bonnefond.
While face-to-face consultations are already underway, the team is waiting for the service to be definitively set up (which should be operational by January) before expanding its activities, particularly in research.
* Professor at the University of Lille and Imperial College London. Physician and teacher-researcher specializing in endocrinology, molecular biology and genetics.
