World Kidney Day 2021
World Kidney Day: Your Kidney Health is in Your Hands
World Kidney Day aims to raise awareness about how our “amazing kidneys” keep us healthy and help us enjoy our lives. The World Kidney Day Steering Committee has declared 2021 the year of “Living Well with Kidney Disease” to signify a shift from the current status quo of disease centricity to an era of patient empowerment, partnership and holistic symptom management.
On this occasion, Dr. Bilal Shahzad, one of the nephrologists at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, said, “Kidney disease can affect those with cancer both, as a pre-existing condition or as a consequence of cancer and during treatment. A multidisciplinary collaboration between oncologists and nephrologists is key to prevent and manage kidney disease in cancer patients. By ensuring this, we promise state-of-the-art and world class care to all our patients at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centres located in Lahore and in Peshawar.”
Commenting on prevention of kidney disease, he said, “It is important that people understand that the biggest cause of kidney disease worldwide is diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure. Embracing a healthy lifestyle by quitting smoking, exercising regularly, consuming a balanced diet, avoiding self-medication and following the advice of your doctors to help control your blood pressure and sugar levels is the best way to keep your kidneys healthy.”
On the role of patients, he said, “With the ongoing pandemic, access to good health care has been difficult in many parts of the country both, due to fear of the virus and logistical reasons. However, in Lahore, patients can rest assured that at the Shaukat Khanum Diagnostic Centre (SKDCL), Liberty, they can access care related to kidney issues in a safe environment with meticulous attention to COVID-19 precautions. It is important to remember that wherever you are, if you have any new or ongoing kidney problems, do not delay seeking investigation or treatment for the sake of your overall health.”