K30,000 to assist patients with kidney failure

 By GYNNIE KERO
A PRIVATE Port Moresby company donated K30,000 to the PNG Kidney Foundation (PNGKF) on Friday to assist patients with kidney failures.
General manager for the PNG Kidney Foundation Khalik Untong thanked Chen Long, of Yuan Fang Architect, for the donation.
It was noted that many people needed the service provided by the foundation.
Physician in charge of haemodialysis Dr Steven Bogosia said the foundation started in 2014 aimed to help chronic kidney patients who required haemodialysis.
“We have been living off those donations to help the people of this country,” Bogosia said.
Untong said the foundation looked forward to donations from other business houses.
He said money donated to PNGKF was for maintenance of medical equipment, purchase of consumables and pay for its staff.
Untong said the foundation started to take in patients for dialysis since July 2014.
“Since then PNGKF has given dialysis treatments to more than 35 patients.
“Presently, with the two haemodialysis machines. we are running at full machine capacity with eight chronic renal failure patients on regular treatment with us now three times weekly.”
The total number of haemodialysis treatments done so far is 1,250 sessions.
“The number of patients treated or helped by the foundation in the past six months, almost every day PNGKF is visited by outpatients seeking consultation and advice on renal diet and renal cares.
“Dr Steven Bogosia is on every Wednesday and so far he had seen  referral cases from other provincial hospitals, from the Port Moresby General Hospital wards and also  from local clinics besides walk-in cases  – total of 193 patients so far ( from Jan-June 2016)
“This year, PNGKF is looking forward to having its own building and buying more dialysis machines to benefit more poor Papua New Guineans who cannot afford to go for private dialysis treatment,” he said.
“We hope more public or corporate bodies will donate to PNGKF for a worthy cause.”