K2.6m kidney centre for capital

By OGIA MIAMEL
THE Papua New Guinea Kidney Foundation is building a standard dialysis centre in Port Moresby to provide an affordable service to kidney patients.
Minister for Health and HIV/ Aids Michael Malabag said during a ground-breaking ceremony yesterday that there had been an increase in the number of people with kidney problems.
He said the health ministry and private hospitals would make sure that people received the best service “regardless of where they go to find that service”.
“There is indeed a growing need. I understand the PNG Kidney Foundation has more than 80 patients. Some are still waiting for assistance from the foundation,” Malabag said.
He urged businesses and stakeholders to support the fundraising dinner for the foundation on October 21 at the new Stanley Hotel. All the proceeds will go towards building the centre.
The estimated cost of building the facility and fitting it out with world-standard medical equipment is around K2.6 million.
Physician in charge of haemodialysis Dr Steven Bogosia said the centre would provide services affordable to the people.
He said the aim was to decrease the cost of the haemodialysis patient care service provided at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
Bogosia said diabetes was the number one cause of chronic kidney failure and death among people seeking haemodialysis treatment at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
Haemodialysis is a way of cleansing the blood of toxins, extra salts and fluids through a dialysis machine called “artificial kidney”.
He said in the 1980s, the main cause of kidney failure was urinary tract infection. Today 90 per cent of patients have diabetes.
“The number one cause now is diabetes. It comes about when people take a lot of refined sugar and food. The sugar persists in the blood stream unregulated,” he said.
“It results in the loss of eyesight, stroke, heart attack and ulcers form on the legs and does not heal. Some people lose their limbs that way.”
Bogosia said most of the patients with diabetes are in their 40s.