Take care of your kidney by avoiding overeating and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol during this festive season.
This was the reminder of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to help avoid kidney problems.
According to the Department of Health, more than 7,000 cases of kidney failure are recorded in the country each year, which makes it the 9th leading cause of death among Filipinos.
Kidney problems can arise from obesity, diabetes, eating too much junk food, consuming too much sugar, high blood pressure, stress and lack of sleep.
To reduce the risk of kidney disease and/or failure, it is recommended that a person get at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day to help reduce stress.
Maintaining a stable blood pressure and managing weight gain also help in keeping the kidney in good condition. Having a healthy diet by eating the right amount of food and cutting down on excess sugar and alcohol reduces the risk of having diabetes, a major contributor to kidney problems.
Getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night similarly helps improve one’s overall physical and mental health and maintain blood pressure at prescribed levels.
In case kidney problems occur or one contracts chronic kidney disease, medical practitioners may recommend undergoing dialysis.
The average cost of dialysis treatment in the country ranges from P4,500 to P7,000 per session, excluding medication and payment for the services of a kidney specialist. Given all of the above, dialysis treatment is a very expensive procedure in the Philippines.
Recognizing this need, the PRC, through the efforts of Chairman Richard J. Gordon, established and inaugurated its first Dialysis Center in November, a state-of-the-art facility available to the less fortunate.
The PRC dialysis center serves as an affordable alternative to other dialysis centers but ensures that those who avail themselves of its services are provided with high-quality hemodialysis treatment in a brand new modern facility.
Recognizing the need for financial assistance for its indigent patients, the PRC established a Dialysis Samaritan Program, a sponsorship plan where companies or individuals can provide the help patients need to meet their required number of hemodialysis treatments.
“We are anticipating a dialysis tsunami coming in. We established this high-quality facility to make proper dialysis treatment accessible to those in need but unable to afford the prohibitive cost. We are concerned about Filipinos incapable of meeting the required number of dialysis sessions in a week because of its high cost; this is the essence of the Dialysis Samaritan Program.” Gordon said.