Special diet eases strain on kidneys
Sitting among a group of six other men in their 60s, Jumnien Talhavas, 63, was busy jotting down a note while brainstorming with the men, consulting a nutrition chart and looking for a sign of approval from the group's nutritionist.
The men were trying to find a way to keep the overall protein intake in customised dietary meals below 45 grams a day. For breakfast, they decided to have khao tom moo sab (boiled rice with minced pork), which contained seven grams of protein. Lunch was phad thai kung sod (stir fried noodles with fresh prawns), which added 22 grams of protein. As a result, the protein intake for their dinner should not exceed 16 grams. About 20 minutes later, the group was ready to shop for food. Everything was fine except for the lunch. There was only one prawn left, so they had to pick something else. Of course, it took a while for a beginner like Jumnien to re-calculate the protein total. "I think I will need a copy of the nutrition chart in my kitchen," said Jumnien, referring to the table designed by Lampang Medical Centre Hospital for people at risk of kidney failure. As part of the hospital's pilot programme to prevent the need for expensive and limited kidney dialysis, the hospital is spearheading a nutrition workshop to teach members of high-risk groups how to prevent severe kidney ailments. Kidney failure is normally associated with diabetes and high blood pressure, said Dr Pranart Chiowanich, the head of the hospital's Hemodialysis Unit. The cost of kidney dialysis is at least Bt8,000 to Bt12,000 per month. One unit can accommodate only 16 patients per day with its eight machines, but about 82 patients need the treatment each day. A patients suffering from acute kidney failure needs to undergo dialysis at least twice a week for his or her entire life. "A new patient can be added only when an older one dies," Pranart said. So far about 6,000 out of 20,000 people with risk factors such as diabetes and high blood pressure are registered with Lampang Hospital's kidney programme. Apart from learning how to prevent the life-threatening disease, members of the group receive check ups twice a year to monitor the disease. The cost of the kidney-cleansing treatment for all people needing it totals Bt8 billion per year, a sum that is unlikely to be met, said Dr Werawat Phankrut, assistant secretary-general of the National Health Security Office. About 7,000 patients who need the treatment cannot obtain it, he said. "The best and least expensive way to deal with the disease is prevention," Werawat said. Arthit Khwankhom The Nation Lampang
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