Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: A plethora of events ranging from rallies and awareness camps to deliberations were organised by different hospitals and organisations to mark world kidney day here Thursday. World Kidney Day is observed each year on the second Thursday of March.
Actress Debjani Deghuria participated in an interactive session with kidney transplant patients at AMRI Hospital, Khandgiri. She exhorted such patients to hold a positive outlook towards life and adopt healthy lifestyle.
“Minor changes in your lifestyle can potentially help prevent harm to the kidneys. Steps such as greater intake of water and healthy diet can help fight kidney disorders,” Debjani said. The actress also presented awards to patients who had undergone kidney transplants and encouraged people to donate kidneys.
Salil Mohanty, vice-president of the hospital said: “Kidney disease is now common due to unhealthy lifestyle and the lack of awareness. Diseases such as diabetes are also responsible for the escalation of renal disease and the rise in diabetes cases have increased renal diseases as well.”
Mohanty added that the advent of new medicines has improved post transplant life of renal patients manifold. He said renal transplants were the most successful among organ transplants with success rate close to 90 per cent.
Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital, too, observed World Kidney Day. The institution organised an awareness rally in the morning and held a seminar on the subject later in the day. Dean of IMS and SUM hospital Gangadhar Sahoo, medical director-adviser D K Roy, medical superintendent P Samantsinghar and Dr P K Mohanty joined a seminar. They focused on the theme ‘Even children may be at risk of kidney disease’. The doctors emphasised on early action to prevent renal disease.
In the evening, national deceased donor transplantation network observed the day at IDCOL auditorium. Several deliberations about creating awareness about preventive behaviours, risk factors, and how to live with kidney diseases were discussed.
World Kidney Day is a global awareness campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of kidneys.