Kidney patients rising in Cordillera

BAGUIO CITY --   Have your kidneys checked regularly and go easy on salty and fatty foods. Health authorities said following reports of increasing kidney patients in the region.  

Department of Health-Cordillera assistant regional   Amelita M. Pangilinan and Dr. Kimberly Valera of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center said one cause of kidney diseases is lifestyle.

This often involves unregulated eating of processed foods rich in salt, fats and other condiments, and drinking of liquor.  

 This is aggravated by other illnesses of the patients, particularly hypertension and diabetes as well as some of the medicines they take for their diagnosed illnesses, among others, said Valera.

 Valera reported an average of two patients per day or 40 kidney patients in a month seek help at the BGHMC dialysis center.

The facility has listed 321 chronic kidney patients with 230 patients   being treated therein   depending on the degree of their illness. The others were referred to treatment facilities like   regional and provincial hospitals that have their own dialysis centers.

Valera said kidney diseases are silent diseases. Most kidney patients seeking medical attention are not aware of the status of their kidneys that is why they are surprised to learn that their kidneys are totally or partially damaged when they seek initial treatment.

She advised everyone to have their kidneys checked regularly and go easy on salty and fatty foods in order to prevent compromising their kidneys and be able to live a healthy life.

Pangilinan and Valera were among the resource persons in a kapihan promoting health advocacies including June as National Kidney Month with this year’s theme “Bato Kong Alay Bago Mong Buhay.”

Meanwhile, the advocacy of the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club for government to provide free dialysis treatment for kidney patients is gaining more support from various sectors and lawmakers like Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara and   Baguio Rep. Mark Go. -- M. Jimenez and S. Yusuf- PIA CAR/UC interns