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QEH Deputy Director Dr. Haji Awang beats a gong to officiate World Kidney Day at City Mall, with Dr Bharathan Thevarajah (centre) looking on.
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14th March, 2010
KOTA KINABALU: Some 950 patients are currently undergoing dialysis treatment or at the final stage of kidney disease in Sabah, with a potentially large number of people yet to be identified across the State, said Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s nephrologist Dr Bharathan Thevarajah.
“The higher number of doctors in bigger towns means it’s easier to detect kidney disease. KK has the highest record followed by Sandakan and Tawau. It’s harder to detect the disease in places like Papar, Kota Marudu and Pitas. We need more GPs and specialists in these areas to detect the disease,” he said during the World Kidney Day campaign at City Mall yesterday.
However, extensive clinic visits to rural areas are organised regularly, where doctors meet patients at risk and implement preventive measures.
“We try to educate people there of the importance of health screenings. Often a simple urine and blood tests would reveal a person’s health condition,” said Bharathan.
“The Nephrology Department at QEH communicates regularly with doctors and GPs via email in rural areas where we try to solve kidney problems the villagers might be facing. We’ve been doing this for a year in Pitas.”
Bharathan said although all age groups regardless of gender are affected by the disease, the causes vary according to age group.
Bharathan said public response to medical screenings over the last three years had been encouraging: 400 people visited the booths in 2008 and 1,500 people in 2009.
The organiser is aiming for 2,000 people this year.
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