“Kidney forum” set on June 20 in Tagbilaran City

By Rey Anthony H. Chiu

Sunday 17th of June 2012

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, June 17 (PIA) -- Persons who may have kidney problems, those interested in kidney disease prevention or those who are caring for patients with kidney malfunctions are invited to attend a layman’s forum about kidneys.

Dr. Mayida Pureza Concepcion Ybanez said the forum will be at the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH) on Wednesday June 20 at 9:00 AM at the hospital Audio Visual (AV) Hall.

Dr. Ybanez, resident nephrologist at the GCGMH said the forum will have kidney disease specialists to talk about the renal disease prevention and control, current government initiatives and healthy lifestyle.

At the Kapihan sa PIA Thursday, Dr. Ybanez said the forum is in line with the hospital’s activities in support of the National Kidney Prevention Month in June.

She added that hospital authorities noticed an alarming increase in Boholano patients taking the queue for the use of the hospital dialysis machine.

"This indicates a growing number of patients needing the machine to externally purify the blood and prevent toxins from poisoning the patient whose blood cleansing kidneys have malfunctioned," she explains.

Ybanez said, in Bohol there is a steady stream of patients needing financial support for dialysis is an everyday occurrence in charity foundations, indicative of how critical it is to get the kidneys in shape because a malfunction is a sure financial drain in the family’s resources.

"Diet and healthy lifestyle," Dr. Ronald Sales, another nephrologist who added that eating low salt, "low fat and low calorie food can help keep the kidneys healthy."

Moreover, Bohol kidney program coordinator Machiavelia Caliao of the Provincial Health Office said they are continuously networking to get available information about the disease prevention to every barangay, in the hope of finally arresting the disease.

Caliao said the Renal Disease Prevention program has put up two free clinics: June 16 at 1:00 PM at the Island City Mall and June 30 at 1:00 PM at the Bohol Quality Mall.

She also said a gathering of rural health unit officers and resident hospital specialists and technicians into kidney disease prevention, and treatment is set on June 27 at the GCGMH AV Hall for an updating on the current developments on the disease control. (mbcn/rahc/PIA-Bohol)