By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Dec. 14: As the coronavirus pandemic continues to grip the country, Kathmandu Metropolitan City, (KMC), on Sunday said it would launch the “Save Kidney” campaign as a measure to raise awareness about kidney-related ailments.
The KMC is all set to launch the campaign from Monday on the occasion of the 26th Metropolitan Day.
The campaign aims at generating awareness about kidney’s importance for overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney diseases and its associated health issues, said Mayor Bidhya Sundar Shakya.
Organising a press meet, coordinator of the Metropolitan Day Celebration Main Organising Committee, and Mayor Shakya said as a part of the campaign a team of medical experts would reach all 32 wards of the city and run the awareness campaign.
KMC, in support of the community and government hospitals, has been providing free hemodialysis services to the city dwellers with kidney aliments, he said.
“The city office has been trying to provide quality services and medical care to its people in collaboration with various organisations, which have expertise in their respective fields,” said Mayor Shakya.
He said that the KMC had been managing free dialysis services in the city as patients had to bear the brunt of spending for dialysis.
In January this year, KMC, in collaboration of Nepal Army, launched a free hemodialysis service at Birendra Military Hospital, Chhauni.
KMC has provided Rs. 30 million to the Nepal Army for the management of human resources needed for hemodialysis machines and for services.
Shakya further said, “During this COVID-19 pandemic, the city office has installed oxygen plants, provided medical equipment and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machines to various hospitals. Similarly, we have been providing free ambulance service to the people.”
“Similarly, to receive people’s suggestions and opinions regarding KMC’s programmes, the city office has set up polling booths in 30 different places,” he added.
He further said that these booths have a capacity to collect suggestions and opinions of around 40,000 people.
On the occasion, KMC will honour tutors of various traditional Nepali musical instruments and Kumari, the living goddess of Makkhan and Killagal, said Shakya.