Cases of kidney failure are said to go up by a hundred percent as the disease is envisaged to affect more people in the country.
According to the Head of the Renal Dialysis Unit of the Police Hospital, DSP Dr Dominic Kumashie, the number of people put on dialysis at the hospital’s facility alone had increased from 1,000 in 2013 to 2,000 in 2014.
Statistics also indicate that there were over 8,000 kidney cases in the country as at last year.
Kidney patients queue for long hours at dialysis centre of the Police Hospital to receive treatment.
The unit has only eight dialysis machines, although it treats more than twice that number of patients each day, charging GH¢170 per patient.
DSP Dr Kumashie further mentioned that studies carried out in Accra showed that almost 50 percent of hypertensive patients have some form of kidney damage, a situation he says is going to get worse because of the changing lifestyle which is making more people hypertensive and diabetic.
He mentioned this during an interview on the sidelines of the commemoration of the World Kidney Day event held at the Police Hospital.
The event was organised by Health Education on Wheels (HEOW) on the theme: ‘Kidney Health For All’ to promote awareness and education on the importance of the kidney to the overall health of the human body.
Warning Signs
Dr Kumashie, however, observed that regular tests on sugar and blood pressure are necessary for early detection of these diseases.
He also mentioned that pointers such as swollen face and feet in the morning which progressively get worse, urine test that show increase protein in the urine indicate that the kidney may not be functioning well.
DCOP Dr Seidu Mahamadu Zachariah, medical director of the Police Hospital, said everyone is prone to kidney failure, and therefore, encouraged the public to go for regular checks which is fundamental in detecting any disease.
Support
He also used the event to show appreciation to private organisations and non-governmental organisations for supporting the unit by providing three new dialysis machines for the unit.
He said the new facility would augment the hospital’s new intensive care unit for kidney patients.
Dr Sylvia Anie, board director of HEOW, said the organisation is focused on the education and prevention of kidney disease through such activities and free screening exercises.
She said the organisation has been supporting the hospital in the past few years through public private partnership to help bring affordable services to kidney patients.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
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