World Kidney Day: Around 10,000 die of kidney diseases every year in K-P

Health minister announces dialysis centres for northern districts.


Our Correspondent March 14, 2014
Health minister announces dialysis centres for northern districts.

PESHAWAR:


“Every year around 10,000 people in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) die of kidney failure,” said head of the Institute of Kidney Diseases (IKD), Dr Sultan Zafar, while speaking at a World Kidney Day event in Hayatabad on Thursday.


Zafar said the purpose of World Kidney Day was to raise awareness of the importance of our kidneys in our overall health, and reduce the frequency and impact of these diseases and associated health problems worldwide.



He added the majority of patients suffering from kidney diseases come from Swat, DI Khan, Bannu, Peshawar, Waziristan and Afghanistan to the IKD centre in Hayatabad

“This day has been observed across the world on the 2nd Thursday of March every year,” said Dr Zafar. “Starting with the first campaign in 2006, over 600 events in more than 90 countries are now held for World Kidney Day.”

Dr Zafar explained that diabetes and high blood pressure are key risk factors for chronic kidney diseases. He said this day encourages preventive behaviour and systematic screening of all patients with diabetes and hypertension, and educates medical professionals about their key role in detecting and reducing the associated risk.

The doctor added hypertension, lead exposure, smoke, dyslipidemia, diabetes, atherosclerotic diseases, presence of inflammatory markers, increased levels of advance glycation end-products and obesity are the main reasons for kidney diseases.

Dr Zafar shared the cost per dialysis is around Rs2,500, while the per month cost of treatment is Rs30,000, which cannot be afforded by a poor man.

“The IKD centre is providing free dialysis treatment and from 2008 to 2013, has done 65,000 dialyses,” said Zafar. “I feel this is a big achievement for the centre.”

“To provide better treatment to kidney patients at their doorstep, the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) will establish five dialysis centres in far-flung districts of the province,” said K-P Minister for Health Shaukat Yousafzai.



“This occasion should not only be observed for one day, but every day of the year so awareness about kidney diseases spreads among our people.”

Yousafzai claimed the government will provide all facilities to hospitals to soon establish dialysis centres in the districts of Shangla, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Kohistan and Swat.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2014.

COMMENTS (1)

Baba Ji | 10 years ago | Reply

Not to create a ruckus but everyone has to die one way or the other !!!

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