Diabetes major health risk

DIABETES tops list as the common cause of kidney failure in the country, according to a doctor.
Port Moresby General Hospital nephrologist and doctor in charge of the Kidney Foundation Centre Dr Steven Bogosia said: “It is a very difficult problem to solve in the country.
“The common problems that we have that cause kidney failure are just like anywhere else across the globe.
“People have money, when they go shopping, they want to buy whatever they want to buy.”
Dr Bogosia, who is also the only kidney specialist in the country added that the kidney treatment in previous years was a real struggle with Paradise Private Hospital (PPH) being the only hospital that had the dialysis machine.
He said one his former bosses told him during one of their ward runs was that patients must provide money for dialysis.
“If they want to perform a kidney transplant abroad, the cheapest option that I could find couple of years ago was about K400, 000,” he said.
“Even dialysis was expensive for many Papua New Guineans.
“At that time, it was about K1000 per session and many patients could only afford one or two sessions and then they would go home to die.”
Dr Bogosia said the PNGKF started with the ambition of helping kidney patients and had discussed with the kidney division in Department of Health. “And the idea of dialysis came up, the department was approached, we found a space at ward seven in Port Moresby General Hospital,” he said.
“We started dialysis with about seven to eight patients.
“We carry out dialysis three times a week at the cost of K6,000.
“Four weeks a month is K24,000 to K30,000 and a year is about K400,000.”
Chairman and founder of the foundation, Sir Martin Poh said one session of four hours dialysis costs about K2000 per day.
PNGKF secretary Steff Eslava said the total number of patient was 30.
“Our number, if you compare it last time, it is increasing. Last time we had limited patients,” she said.
“Now whoever is ready for dialysis at the Port Moresby General Hospital, they send the patients to us,” Sir Martin said.
“So we are like an extension of PMGH.