450 Gathered at NKF's 1st Patient Forum in Kedah

450 dialysis patients and their caregivers from Kedah, Perlis and Penang attended the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) of Malaysia’s 14th Annual Patient Forum that was held recently in Alor Setar for the first time.


The Forum has been initiated by the NKF Welfare Department since 2003 as an avenue for dialysis patients and their caregivers to gain information on kidney disease as well as to share their experiences in dealing with End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD). With focus on enhancing the patients’ quality of life, the topics of the Forum ranged from information and updates on kidney disease to guidance on adhering to healthy habits physically and mentally.


Member of the NKF Board of Directors, Mr Maniam Raman Chettiar in his speech mentioned “We trust that all participants attending the Forum today will benefit from the talk given by our speakers. This Forum has certainly provided the patients and their caregivers with the information and advice that they need in one platform.”


Mr Maniam reiterated, “As a non-profit charitable organization, the welfare of patients is of paramount importance for NKF. Through this Forum, we hope to safeguard the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of the patients.”


Held at the Royale Signature Hotel in Alor Setar, the Forum featured four nephrologists: Dr Faisal Azmee spoke about ‘Numbers in Dialysis – What Patients Should Pay Attention To?’ which created awareness regarding the important numbers to take note of as a way to find out the effectiveness of their dialysis treatment from the perspective of haemoglobin, calcium, phosphate, and potassium levels in the body.


Dr Ching Chen Hua spoke about ‘Caring for Your Fistula’ which educated patients and their care givers on the care for fistulas to maintain optimal blood flow for dialysis treatment. According to Dr Ching, fistula which is crucial to haemodialysis is the best tool to connect the artery with a vein for dialysis treatment because it reduces the chance of skin infection, pumps blood at higher speed and is more durable compared to catheters. Some of the steps that should be taken before, during, and after implanting fistulas are to avoid injecting the veins for blood collection and blood pressure examination. Regular hand exercises are greatly encouraged.


Dr Leong Chong Men spoke about ‘Improving Survival in Dialysis Treatment’ which explained the way to prolong quality of life as a dialysis patient; and Dr Nor Fadhlina Zakaria spoke about ‘Supplements and Kidney Health’ which set out the precautions that kidney patients should take into account before taking supplements. She commented that consuming supplements without seeking doctor’s advice beforehand may lead to the risk of heart and kidney diseases.


On hand to motivate patients and caregivers to lead a positive and healthier lifestyle was dietitian, Ms Kher Pui Ling, who spoke on ‘Eating Healthy’ and provided patients and caregivers with insights on how to make good food choices.


Members of the public also had the chance to visit the NKF Public Education Department (PED) booths at the site of the Forum to learn more about the products and services offered, while NKF LifeCheck, the NKF’s Mobile Health Screening Team, carried out health screening for the public.

For more information about NKF or to donate towards the organisation’s efforts, please visit www.nkf.org.my or call 03-7954 9048