World Kidney Day observed

World Kidney Day was observed today including in Nepal by organising various programmes. The Day is observed in the second Thursday of March each year.

At a programme organised here today, Lalitpur metropolis mayor Chiribabu Maharjan stressed the need of increasing public awareness for a healthy kidney. As he said, increased public awareness is necessary to encourage people to have a healthy lifestyle and to undergo health checkup time to time for a sound health. A friendship football match, organ donation camp and kidney march were jointly organised by the Shahid Dharmabhakta National Transplant Centre (Human Organ Transplant Centre) and the Organ Transplant Society Nepal.

The celebration of the Day aims to promote public awareness for the prevention of kidney diseases. According to doctors, one in each 10 people suffers kidney disease. Centre Director Dr Pukar Chandra Shrestha said organ including the kidney failure issue is becoming a serious public health problem and the celebration of the Day is expected to be helpful in promoting the practice of a healthy lifestyle among the people and making public aware of the significance of organ donations.

In addition to this, the Day is valued itself in view of ensuring patients’ access to healthcare facilities. Around 8.5 million kidney patients in the world get deprived of healthcare services due to natural disasters and other causes, according to Dr Shrestha. Centre consultant nephrologist Dr Kalpana Shrestha said they recorded the 1026 cases of kidney transplant and nine cases of liver transplant in 10 years of its establishment. During the organ donation camp held on the occasion of the World Kidney Day this year, five people registered their names for posthumous organ donations.

This year, the World Kidney Day was observed with the theme of ‘Kidney Health for All – Preparing for the unexpected, supporting the vulnerable’. Organ donors, receivers, doctors, nurses, artists and social workers joined the programme.