A successful first month for the Dialysis Centre
Thabani Gumede, the Clinical Technician for the centre, would like to remind everyone to monitor their kidneys during this warm, dry weather.
The Dialysis Centre at Kruinpark Retirement Village has been in operation for little more than a month, and staff say it couldn’t be going better.
The centre was officially opened on 7 September, and since then five patients of various ages have come forward for treatment. Other centres have said that it is rare to have such success within only one month of operation, much to the joy of the centre staff.
Read the initial article here:
https://roodepoortrecord.co.za/2019/09/13/roodepoorts-new-dialysis-centre/
Patients at the centre say they are overwhelmed with joy at the positive and comfortable environment, commenting on the light in the room and the friendly employees. The community has also had a positive reaction to the centre, with a few people even come through just to visit the patients receiving treatment.
The staff of the centre hope to be able to continue at this pace, building on the number of people they treat slowly but steadily. The centre currently treats patients on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but as those slots are almost full it looks like Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday treatments will soon become available.
After filling their day slots, the centre will start a night programme aimed at patients who are occupied with work or need longer treatments. The night-time treatments are usually for dialysis patients in a more severe stage of kidney failure, because their treatment sessions get extended from four hours to six, making them more effective.
The benefits of the night treatments are substantial – because of the longer treatment time, more cleaning can be done and more of the retained fluid can be drained. This has a positive effect on blood pressure, cardiovascular problems, water retention, and diet. With the extended cleaning time, patients can eat as they normally would, provided they follow a nutritional diet.
Thabani Gumede, the Clinical Technician for the centre, would like to remind everyone to monitor their kidneys during this warm, dry weather. People should drink substantial amounts of water and get regular screenings done on their kidneys. Dehydration, diabetes and high blood pressure are large contributors to kidney failure, so screening is essential for people who suffer from them. Screening can be done at your GP, local hospital or some pharmacies that have nursing sisters on staff.
For more information about the Dialysis Centre, contact:
Anton Groeneveld – General Manager, Frail Care: 082 578 3852
Thabani Gumede – Nephrology Clinical Technician: 076 883 0945
Delaine van Zyl – General Manager Renal Care: 082 787 6955
