World Kidney Day: KIMS Experts Urge Health Emergency Plan for Kidney Patients

Bhubaneswar: Nephrologists at Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), a constituent of KIIT-DU, made a strong plea for bringing kidney-related ailments under the ambit of health emergency plans because of recurring natural disasters and other events like the recent pandemic.

The appeal came on World Kidney Day to sensitise people about the role of kidney in maintaining a healthy life.

KIMS Nephrology Department organised a walkathon in the morning, with students of KIMS, KINS and KISS taking part.

A Continuing Medical Education (CME) was organised in the afternoon, where Prof. Emeritus and renowned nephrologist Dr SC Dash, Prof. Nephrology KIMS Dr SB Rout, Advisor and Senior Consultant Nephrology KIMS Dr AP Pattanaik, HOD Nephrology of AIIMS Bhubaneswar Dr Sandip Panda, HOD Nephrology of SCBMCH Cuttack Prof. Dr Aruna Acharya and HOD Nephrology of KIMS Dr Nikunj Kishore Rout delivered addresses.

Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. CBK Mohanty, Principal Brig. Prof. Dr AP Mohanty, Medical Superintendent KIMS Prof. RC Das, Vice-Principal and Prof. of Medicine KIMS Dr Subhranshu Patro, HoD Department of Medicine KIMS Prof. Dr Lalatendu Mohanty and Prof. Dr SB Rout chaired the sessions and also participated in the CME.

“We urge the disaster and healthcare management authorities in the government to include the non-communicable disease, especially kidney disease and renal transplant groups as vulnerable groups during disasters. Secondly, the healthcare system needs to be adaptive, robust and resilient, incorporating the essential public health emergency preparedness elements to function, optimally in and out of an emergency/disaster,” said Dr Rout, HOD Nephrology.

“We live in a predictable world which is waiting to plunge into health crises or natural disasters. As the rate of natural disasters and other devastating events caused by human activities is increasing day by day, the burden of health and well-being of the non-communicable disease, especially the kidney disease patients have seen an exceptional rise,” Dr Rout oberved.

Health emergency plans don’t generally include kidney or non-communicable disease care. Bowever, during COVID-19 pandemic, people with non-communicable diseases faced worse outcomes than those without.

Stressing on the need for a good Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) plan, Dr Rout said that the move could be visualised as a wheel with the outer rim formed by governance and good leadership while the centre or axis of the wheel is ethics and values, and the spokes supporting healthcare system are the planning process, collaborative networks, community, engagement, risk analysis, surveillance and monitoring, practice, and experience, resources, building workforce capacity and good communication.