Karnal: On account of World Kidney Day 2015, the team of medical experts from Max Super Speciality Hospital Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi- leading healthcare services provider of North India, today organized a Press Conference in the city addressing the theme- “Kidney Health for All”. Present on the occasion were Dr Waheed Zaman – Senior Consultant, Urology and Renal Transplant, Dr Deepak Jain- Senior Consultant, Nephrology, Dr Ankur Gupta- Consultant, Nephrology and Dr Vikas Agarwal – Consultant, Urology from Max Super Specialty Hospital, Shalimar Bagh. At the press conference Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh also announced the launch of state of the art Kidney Transplant Unit which will address the kidney transplant problems of the residents of Karnal and neighbouring regions like Hissar, Panipat and Rohtak.

Speaking about the Kidney Transplant Unit, Dr Waheed Zaman, Senior Consultant, Urology and Renal Transplant at Max Super Specialty Hospital, Shalimar Bagh said, “The Kidney Transplant Unit at Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh is equipped with one of a kind world class transplant ICU having positive pressure isolation rooms with HEPA filtered air, as sterile as an operation theatre in order to prevent infections and thus hasten recovery. Moreover, we have facilities for intensive monitoring, ventilation, quality dialysis bed side in the Transplant ICU and a dedicated team of well experienced healthcare providers.”

Discussing how chronic kidney failure leads to irreversible damage to the kidneys, Dr Deepak Jain Chauhan, Senior Consultant, Nephrology at Max Super Specialty Hospital, Shalimar Bagh shared, “Chronic Kidney Failure (CRF) is progressive in nature and irreversible damage to the kidneys could happen mainly because of diabetes, hypertension, infection, urinary obstruction, stone disease and some inherited abnormalities. Advanced stage of Chronic Kidney Failure requires some form of Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT) like Hemodialysis (filtering the blood off toxins and waste products), Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) or a Transplant. As of now, Kidney Transplant is the best treatment option for any suitable patient with chronic kidney failure.”

Elucidating the benefits of a renal transplant to the patient in the long run, Dr Ankur Gupta, Consultant, Nephrology at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh said, “Amongst all the options of Renal Replacement Therapy, kidney transplant provides the best quality of life compared to dialysis or CAPD. Considering the growing population of diabetes and hypertension, each year about 2 lakh new patients develop chronic kidney failure in our country — but transplant takes place in only about 5000 cases, because of lack of awareness of people and unavailability of donor. This huge discrepancy between the need and availability of organs can be bridged, if organs from accident victims (around 4 lakh dying every year) can be made available for transplant. Cadaver (deceased) Donor Program needs to be given momentum as 95% transplants in India were through living donor whereas only 5% were cadaver. The other most viable option is Donor Swapping and transplantation from ABO-blood group incompatible donors. Such transplants which were considered high risk in the past are now days possible with good short term and long term results through efficient immunosuppressive treatment protocols available.”

Dr Amardeep Kohli, Vice President- Operations, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh said – “In India myths are attached to organ donation and seldom people come ahead to donate their organs voluntarily. Organ donation is still a taboo with recipient patients increasing day-by-day while donors are still less. In a year, approximately 5 lac people need kidney transplantation in India, but only 5000 tranplants are conducted in a year, while 80000 patients are dialysed every year. Rest of the patients do not get treatment due to finances or unavailability of donor. With the launch of Kidney Transplant Unit at Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, we wish to address this grave situation of scarcity of donors in our country. We aim to educate people and break all myths in their minds about organ donation. Kidney donation is very safe and there is no harm in donating kidney to your kith and kin. Both the recipient and donor can lead a normal and healthy life post transplant.”