BHB celebrates World Kidney Day
Tuesday 12 March 2024: Bermuda Hospitals Board invites the community to get free screening and education about kidney disease at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) Acute Care Wing lobby on World Kidney Day, Thursday 14 March, between 10am and 2pm.
Nurses from the KEMH Dialysis Unit will be available to discuss the prevention and treatment of kidney disease, and provide free blood sugar and blood pressure testing.
Kidneys play a vital role in maintaining optimal health, as they remove waste from the blood and return cleaned blood back to the body. Each minute about a litre of blood – one fifth of all the blood pumped by the heart – goes through the kidneys. As well as filtering blood, healthy kidneys help control blood pressure, maintain body fluids and regulate the amount of salt, water and other chemicals in our bodies.
Vice-President of Clinical Operations Acute and Ambulatory Care Norma Smith says: “Having healthy kidneys is critical our wellbeing. The theme for this year’s World Kidney Day is kidney health for all. We are therefore encouraging the public to learn more about looking after their kidneys as well as giving them the opportunity of a free screening for diabetes and hypertension which can both impact kidney health if left untreated.
“Prevention is how we avoid ending up needing dialysis, so we want to use World Kidney Day as an opportunity to encourage healthier living and screening. This can help people avoid dialysis altogether.”