PAPHOS renal unit is appealing to the ministry of health to expand the centre as the number of patients needing lifesaving dialysis treatment is increasing so much nurses are having to work night shifts to keep up with the demand.
Dr Lakis Yioukkas, who runs the renal unit at Paphos general hospital, said the proposed extension has been backed by the hospital director who has written to the ministry of health to request permission.
“At present nurses are having to work night shifts as well, to keep up with the patient numbers,” he told the Sunday Mail. “We have 12 patients on dialysis machines in the morning, 12 in the afternoon and three times a week, eight at night time.” He said that an extension, which he hopes will get underway next year, would create at least five more beds, making treatment easier for both patients and nurses. The unit is now giving regular lifesaving dialysis treatment to 70 patients and the number is continuously increasing. An additional doctor, recently appointed to the unit, has eased some of the pressure, but the unit still cannot meet the demand comfortably.
“Every month, a couple more patients need dialysis and this number is in Paphos only, and it will continue to increase,” said Yioukkas One patient that receives regular dialysis treatment at the unit is Graham Brown, the chairman of the Paphos Kidney Association, who has a hereditary condition of polycystic kidney disease. Following the removal of one of his kidneys at a Paphos hospital, he started dialysis treatment in November 2013. He is now one of many patients who need regular dialysis treatment to keep him alive.
A weary Brown told the Sunday Mail his condition has deteriorated dramatically recently and he now also shakes uncontrollably at times. So far doctors have been unable to pinpoint the reason behind the latest development, he said.
Brown now needs a five-hour treatment at the Paphos unit three times a week. He said that dialysis is expensive, it costs around €50,000 to treat each patient a year, and that the association assists the renal unit as much as possible. “My treatments now take up to five hours to complete and I have completed 460 so far. It’s getting a bit wearing now, but I am still doing all I can to help the unit,” he said. “I don’t expect to be here this time next year though.” Brown said at one point four nurses had to hold him down as he was shaking so uncontrollably and violently.
Brown was the winner of last year’s Hearts of Gold Award for his work in raising money for new machines and other necessities for the unit. The Paphos Kidney Association is now a registered charity. The association has done much to improve the unit, by raising money and purchasing a huge amount of equipment since its inception 15 years ago.
“We’ve got 40 thousand euros put aside so far and I will go all out in 2017 to do what I can to ensure we raise funds to provide equipment for the new extension. This will include hemodiafiltration (HDF) units and special beds.”
Each hemodiafiltration unit comes with a price tag of €25,000 and each bed costs around € 2,500.
“We estimate that it will cost around 170,000 euros to fully equip the extension and I hope that we can achieve that.” Space is now so limited that three of the dialysis machines are now housed into the intensive care unit and patients have even presented a petition to the hospital to improve the situation, he said.
Yiokkas said the increase in kidney problems is a global phenomenon and although patient care has improved dramatically in the last 20 years with machines delivering better results, numbers of patients are still increasing.
The increase is down to a number of factors, including diabetes, lifestyle, diet, obesity, high blood pressure, inactivity, and the overuse of some types of medication, in particular, anti- inflammatory drugs, which are toxic for the kidneys. “These should be avoided as much as possible and people may not realise how harmful they can be. We are also living longer and this can cause kidney problems as well,” he said.
He added that people should exercise regularly, eat healthily, ensure cholesterol and blood pressure levels are not high, cut down on sugar intake and limit the use of painkillers taken. If a patient doesn’t receive dialysis when needed, they would be dead in five days. “When your kidneys fail, dialysis keeps your body in balance by removing waste, salt and extra water to prevent them building up, keeping a safe level of certain chemicals in your blood, such as potassium, sodium and bicarbonate and helps control blood pressure,” Brown said. Chronic kidney failure is permanent and irreversible and the only chance of survival is to wait for a transplant.
“Unfortunately with so few donors available, the majority of dialysis patients will die whilst waiting for a suitable donor,” he said. “We all know that we are going to die in the end, but we are helping to prolong life, and the quality of life, which is so important.”
The association is always looking for volunteers to help raise funds and would- be donors may register at the Cyprus organ and tissue donor registry, (similar to carrying an organ donor card in the UK.) To obtain a form, email: cypruskidney@gmail.com. Paphos Kidney Association has a dedicated Facebook page.To organise an event for the Paphos Kidney Association: (00 357) 99244679 www.cypruskidney.com
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