Patients receiving dialysis treatment ‘on the increase’

The number of people receiving dialysis treatment in the Kingdom has been increasing, according to a leading expert. Consultant Nephrologist at Salmaniya Medical Complex Dr Ali Hassan Al Aradi said that a dangerous health trend is emerging as the number of people needing dialysis treatment has been increasing, of late. Dialysis is a treatment that filters and purifies the blood using a machine.

This helps keep your fluids and electrolytes in balance when the kidneys can’t do their job. Around 700 patients visit Salmaniya Medical Complex and the government dialysis facility in Busaiteen to undergo dialysis three times per week, he revealed. He said that a large number of people have also been receiving the dialysis treatment at the Bahrain Royal Medical Service, the Kingdom’s military hospital.

He said that there are others who receive treatment from home, adding that the prevalence of kidney diseases is also leading to kidney transplants among many people. He said that such demand of kidney treatment also necessitates services of more doctors and specialists and therefore the government may need to hire more doctors to meet the requirements. The doctor added that obesity, diabetes and stress are all big contributors to kidney diseases. He urged the public to maintain a good weight and adopt healthy lifestyle choices.

Meanwhile, Salmaniya Medical Complex has been attempting to improve its services by hiring more doctors, nurses and improving its infrastructure. It was recently announced that 600 new parking spots will be made available in Bahrain’s largest hospital through a new multi-storey car park.

This comes a step to remedy the parking woes in the hospital. Bahrain Real Estate Investment Company (Edamah), the real estate arm of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, along with the Ministry of Health and Al Ghanah Group made the agreement build the car park.