JEDDAH: Around 20 percent of those suffering from kidney diseases in the Kingdom are newborns and this is attributed to birth defects, a kidney specialist was quoted as saying by local media on Tuesday.
"Peritoneal dialysis is the proper way for treating newborns suffering from kidney failure because babies weighing less than 10 kg cannot bear the regular hemodialysis,” Dr. Sabah Al-Sunaa, consultant on children with kidney failure at Qatif Central Hospital, said.
Kamel Al-Abbad, director of Qatif Central Hospital, was quoted as saying that the hospital’s Kidney Center project is expected to be completed by the forthcoming month of Ramadan, noting that it will play a vital role in providing treatment to patients in the province.
He was speaking during the opening of an event to celebrate World Kidney Day on Monday. The event included the launch of an awareness and educational campaign, distributing banners and pamphlets and publications addressing the issue.
Al-Abbad said the campaign is aimed at raising awareness among people on kidney diseases, the reasons and diagnosis and treatment.
Galia Jasim Mailo, the coordinator of the event, said the activity is aimed at delivering a message to people on ways to keep the kidneys healthy. She stressed on the need to apply the golden rule for good health and kidneys which involves daily physical exercises, keeping balanced and normal sugar intake, keeping a tab on the blood pressure, eating healthy foods, monitoring the body weight and drinking fluids in addition to quitting smoking.
She also warned against taking medications that are harmful to the kidneys.
Mailo said chronic diseases such as diabetes and blood pressure are the main reasons for kidney failure. “Genetic factor is another reason for the disease,” she said, indicating that taking the right medicines for diabetes and blood pressure is a key to avoiding kidney failure.
She said that Qatif Central Hospital has 14 dialysis machines and the hospital receives 35 patients daily for dialysis.
Arab News
