Inaugurating the Nepal Kidney Foundation (NKF), a non-profit organization established by a group of doctors with the aim of raising awareness about the disease and providing treatment to kidney patients, in the capital on Friday, CPN-UML Chiarperson KP Sharma Oli, who is also a kidney patient, said concerned authorities should raise awareness about kidney-related ailments and persuade people to take preventive measures to avoid Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Oli underwent kidney transplant eight years ago after both his kidneys stopped functioning."It is better to take preventive measures than seek treatment after catching a disease. So raising awareness about kidney-related ailments is a must," said Oli.
Though the NKF was established in 2014, it was formally inaugurated on Friday.
Similarly, Nilkhanta Uprety, chief commissioner of the Election Commission, also stressed on educating people about kidney related ailments and preventive measures. Uprety is NKF's chief advisor.
Dr Shakti Basnet, president of NKF, said the organization has been carrying out various awareness programs and providing treatment services to help minimize the number of kidney patients in the country.
Of the total population of 28 million, around 3 million people in the country are currently suffering from kidney-related diseases. But there are only 30 nephrologists who are supposed to provide treatment to kidney patients across the country, according to NKF.
"The number of the kidney patients is increasing fast. But we limited manpower to tackle the problem. In such a context, encouraging people to adopt preventive measures is the only viable solution," added Basnet, who is a nephrologist at Bir Hospital.
Dr Basnet informed that NKF aims to establish dialysis centers in all districts across the country. "Likewise, we also aim to pile pressure on the government to ease laws related to kidney transplantation in the country," added he.
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