The Kingdom will join 90 countries in the world to observe World Kidney Day on Thursday.
The focus this year is on Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and aging. CKD can develop at any age, but it becomes more common as patients get older.
The mission of World Kidney Day is to raise awareness on the importance of kidney function to overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.
Dr. Aqeel Al-Ghamdhi, undersecretary for hospital affairs at the Ministry of Health, said there are some 9,792 dialysis patients in 20 regions in the Kingdom.
He pointed out that renal failure patients not only need medical support, but also need psychological treatment. The ministry offers both of these services in all its dialysis centers throughout the Kingdom. He said the ministry had undertaken various programs not only to treat kidney patients, but also to advise them on how to prevent these diseases. He attributed the increasing number of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and kidney failure to a change in lifestyle.
Its objective is to highlight that diabetes and high blood pressure are key risk factors for chronic kidney disease and to encourage the systematic screening of such patients. It is also aims at educating medical professionals about their key role in detecting and reducing the risk of chronic kidney diseases, particularly in high risk populations.
It also encourages transplantation as a best-outcome option for kidney failure and the act of organ donation as a life-saving initiative.
According to the World Health Organization, some 500 million people are suffering from renal disease.
He explained that diabetes and hypertension are the two main causes of kidney problems. He said that another 300 million people will be affected with diabetes and hypertension globally by 2025.
Muawiya Bint Abu Jadayel, director of the National Center for Media and Health Awareness Programs at the Ministry of Health, said the call center will be available for public inquiries on renal diseases throughout the week on toll free number 8002494444.
The Home Healthcare program launched by the ministry provides curative, preventive, rehabilitative, palliative and counseling services to elders at their homes.
He said that it is aimed at providing a wide range of health care programs at patients’ doorsteps.
There are 940 health officials who are divided into 216 teams working in the field in across the Kingdom to serve patients under this program.
The health care services offered to these patients are linked to 138 hospitals spread throughout the Kingdom.
He said that patients should be referred by a physician for treatment at home in order to qualify for treatment under this program. In addition, a patient should be living within a 50-km radius from a hospital and there should be a family member who will be in attendance with the patient at home.
According to a survey, around 31 percent of patients covered under the program suffer from chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiac and renal diseases.
Eighteen percent are Alzheimer’s and psychiatric patients and 14 percent are paralytics, while 11 percent suffer from diabetic foot diseases, five percent from chronic respiratory diseases, five percent from urinary tract diseases and two percent from malignancies.
He said the Riyadh region is ranked first in terms of the number of beneficiaries of the program, which has reached 12 percent of all patients in the Kingdom, followed by 11 percent in the Asir region, 10 percent in Madinah, nine percent in Makkah, and the remaining regions at varying proportions relative to the populations, number of hospitals and beds in each region.
Kingdom joins 90 countries in observing World Kidney Day
