Detecting Kidney Disease

Chronic Kidney Disease starts as a scar in the kidney, slowly progresses irreversibly and is often asymptomatic. The detection is often delayed and hence puts the entire family under enormous financial burden. A key requirement is the early detection to avoid progression of the disease. Notwithstanding Government policies, the entire healthcare system in a country such as India is overloaded, and healthcare staff lack adequate training. Hence awareness campaigns, let alone detection and remedial healthcare, reach only a small fraction of the families, especially those in lower income segments or rural areas. As a result, every year an estimated 200 per million population reach End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) requiring either dialysis or kidney transplantation. The Government’s schemes such as “PMJAY” to support dialysis is grossly inadequate to meet the growing population of Chronic Kidney Disease patients. The challenges faced by the individuals with Chronic Kidney Disease and their families pose a huge financial and emotional burden on their families.

Awareness Camps

TANKER Foundation adopts a layered approach to kidney disease by not only providing subsidized / free dialysis to the underprivileged patients, but also conducting awareness programmes and holding screening camps.

1344 awareness programmes have been conducted till March 2023, reaching out to over 192,000 people.

Ms. Rajalakshmi Ravi, who has personal experience with kidney disease, brings a special commitment and understanding in conducting the programmes.

It is never too early to create awareness and work towards prevention and early detection. The Foundation regularly organizes talks in schools, colleges and public forums for creating awareness about kidney diseases and the symptoms to look out for, their prevention and early treatment.

Ms. Ravi and her team create awareness about the disease intensively and extensively through power point presentations in educational institutions and adult forums like public and private organizations including Self Help Groups. The awareness programmes are in English and Tamil. Leaflets are distributed. Students are asked to pass on the leaflets to their parents so that the reach is wider and multiplied.

Field visits are also organized for students to come and observe dialysis procedures firsthand and interact with patients.

Besides the help extended by our Goodwill Ambassador, Suriya, we are also using media such as Radio, TV, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to spread awareness.

SCREENING CAMPS

As with any disease, early detection and treatment can make a huge difference.

• TANKER Foundation screening camps are held in schools and communities for early detection and diagnosis of kidney-related problems.
• Screening camps are conducted in organized sectors and also for the general public.

Beneficiaries: The target group is the general public, both men and women mostly above the age of 25.

Screening tools: People are registered with basic data and BMI and BP are checked

Dipsticks are used to check for urine glucose and protein. Serum creatinine is checked for those who are known diabetic, who have glucose and or protein in urine.

A portable ultrasound is also used to see Kidney Urinary Bladder (KUB) for symptomatic cases.

Manpower: General physician, sometimes a nephrologist, lab technicians, sonologist, sometimes radiologist and urologist, nurses and volunteers participate in the camps.

Referral or follow-up: Those who have BMI >25, pre-hypertension, would be advised lifestyle modifications.

Those with protein trace of 1+ would be asked to repeat the test after a month and see a doctor.

Those with protein > 2+ will be asked to see a nephrologist.

Cases with glycosuria will be advised to see a diabetologist.

Most referrals are made to the local PHCs or nearby government hospitals.

Our grateful thanks to all our generous donors and enablers who have supported and continue to support our Screening and Awareness Programmes.