A total of over 385 kidney transplants were performed at Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) during the year 2000-2008. According to a letter of thanks sent to contributors of by Dr Adeeb Rizvi, Head of SIUT, operations performed for the transplantation of kidney between 1985-1990 went on increasing from 108 to the present level.
As a result of the tremendous support received from people from all walks of life in saving precious lives " more doctors and para-medical staff was added in my team resulting in a total of 2,000 transplants free of cost up-to July 2."
Dr Rizvi said that during the previous years SIUT performed three operations in a week but two operations are performed every day. The plan is to increase the number of operations to three to four per day for which a team of young surgeons has been formed for the completion of this mission.
According to Dr Rizvi one transplant costs between Rs 20 to Rs 25 lakh besides the fare and other expenses. As compared to this at SIUT where all the tests and other procedures are done under a single roof the cost for one transplant comes to around Rs seven lakh. The expenses are met from contributions and the patient is not charged any thing because what to talk about poor people even middle income group people cannot afford to pay the amount involved.
He has appealed to philanthropists and others to cooperate with him by contributing to this noble cause and helping the institution serving the poor and needy. According to SIUT news globally an estimated 500 million people or about one adult in 10 in the general population have some form of chronic kidney disease. If kidney disease is not detected at an early stage there is risk of progressive decline in renal function leading to renal failure. Simple tests are now available which allow early detection especially in those individuals who are at risk.
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a "silent" disease as it often goes unnoticed. CKD thus accounts for 72 percent of the total global burden of disease in people over the age of 30 years. The cost of treatment of CKD exceeds 80 percent of the health care budget in many countries and thus takes away resources from public health care facilities.
SIUT had screened 1400 people from all walks of life for kidney diseases on the World Kidney Day 2008. In a well-worked out programme individuals were enrolled by medical social workers, subjected to simple urine and blood tests for kidney disease, ultrasound examination, and blood pressure check-up and when reports were ready, each person was seen by a team of nephrologists. Those with abnormalities were asked to report to different OPDs at SIUT.
The results of screening of 1401 individuals for CKD showed: hypertension 13.5 percent, diabetes 15 percent, CKD four percent, proteins in urine nine percent, renal stones seven percent, and other renal abnormalities five percent.
Although many people who came for screening had known diabetes but majority were ignorant of hypertension and renal dysfunction, harbouring kidney stones and early signs of CKD in the form of proteins in urine. The alarming results of the survey highlighted the importance of screening for CKD. Early detection is very essential, as the outcome of CKD is renal failure, which requires dialysis and transplantation.
Healthy kidneys are responsible for removing waste products from the blood and maintenance of fluid and electrolyte balance. Nutrition plays an important role in kidney diseases. Nutrition and dietetic department of SIUT provides nutritional guidance to in and out patients and is involved in research and education programmes. For the year 2007, approximately 90,000 patients received some form of nutrition consultation.