Majority of the kidney disease patients seeking treatment at the Siaya County referral hospital are children, the County Executive Committee Member for Health, Dorothy Owino has said.
Owino said that the hospital has been attending to over 100 patients with renal disease annually since the opening of the renal unit in November last year.
Speaking during the celebrations of the World Kidney Day marked at the Ahindi Garden in Siaya town on Thursday, the county health minister said that 36% of the kidney related diseases in the county are as a result of diabetes complications while another 30% are from hypertension.
She said that the county referral hospital has so far dialysed 33 renal patients, five of whom have been discharged from dialysis after complete recovery of the temporary loss of kidney function.
Owino said that the county government was committed to ensuring that the residents get the best from the renal unit, adding that already, a doctor, pharmacist and several medical staff have been trained to handle the dialysis equipment provided by the national government through the medical equipment scheme.
The county health boss called on the residents to be conscious of their health and visit health facilities for regular checkups.
Siaya County Chief Officer for Health, Dr. OmondiOwino said the local renal unit was fully equipped with trained health professionals who include a physician, medical doctor, nutritionist, pharmacist and renal nurses.
Owino said in a speech read on his behalf by the director of county medical services, Dr. Eunice Fwaya, the county referral hospital conducts 20 dialysis sessions weekly.
By Philip Onyango
