Hamad Medical Corporation marks World Kidney Day

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) will this week hold awareness activities to mark this year’s World Kidney Day (WKD), being observed worldwide under the theme: “Kidney Health for All”.

WKD aims to raise awareness of the importance of kidneys to overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems, especially amongst people with chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. WKD also draws attention to the prevalence of kidney disease, which occurs in one in 10 people worldwide.

WKD events will be sponsored by Ooredoo which has a strong history of supporting Hamad Medical Corporation in its work to prevent and manage kidney disease, including funding the opening of the Fahad bin Jassim Kidney Center. This opened in 2010 and provides dialysis facilities for patients suffering from acute and chronic kidney disease. 

The WKD awareness activities to be held at Hamad General Hospital, Al Wakra Hospital and Al Khor Hospital will feature educational programs, including informative sessions about kidney health and diets, the distribution of informative pamphlets as well as screening for diabetes and hypertension.

As part of this year’s WKD campaign, a walkathon is being organized in conjunction with Katara which will take place on 13 March. Students from local schools, Qatar University and Weil Cornell Medical College in Qatar will participate in the walkathon. Members of scouting associations and Community Policing will also take part in the walkathon and other recreational activities planned to be held on the sidelines of the main campaign activities.

In addition, a two-day scientific seminar will take place on 21 and 22 March featuring topics ranging from kidney health to the link between kidney disease and diabetes.

At the seminar, Dr. Riadh Abdulsattar, Head of the Qatar Center for Organ Donation (Hiba), will speak about the Doha Donation Accord and the role of kidney transplantation in reducing the number of patients undergoing renal dialysis. Experts in diabetes, nephrology and dietetics from HMC will also speak at the seminar.

Mr. Hassan Al Hail, Assistant Executive Director of HMC’s Corporate Communications spoke on behalf of Mr. Ali Abdulla Al Khater, Executive Director of HMC’s Corporate Communications Department about the importance of WKD: "Campaigns of this type are focused on educating the public about general healthy living habits, and for kidney health in particular, the prevention of disease and on how to manage it if and when it occurs.”

“HMC places great importance on educating the public about health promotion and disease prevention, based on the principlethat prevention is better than cure. HMC makes every effort to spread awareness on the prevention of disease, particularly kidney disease where renal failure patients would be in need of the help of organ donors to have curative transplants,” Mr. Al Hail added.

Mr. Al Hail urged the public to take part in the campaign where participants would benefit from blood sugar and blood pressure tests provided by HMC professionals.