Tag: nephrologist

10 Facts about Kidney Transplant

~ Dr K Fagoonee ~ Leave a comment

1

Kidney transplant is the treatment of choice for those who have failing kidney function.

2

Kidney donation is safe. Most people have 2 kidneys and only 1 is needed for survival.

3

Kidney transplant patients do no have to be on dialysis, but they do have to take a few medications, life long.

4

Kidney transplant patients are closely followed by Nephrologists.

5

Kidney transplanted patients live a full, normal and better life than if they are on dialysis treatment.

6

Kidney transplanted patients have 3 kidneys, most of the time, unless there are medical indications to remove any of the 2 native kidneys.

7

Kidneys that are transplanted start to work immediately in the recipient body, hence no more dialysis needed.

8

Kidney transplant has a very good survival rate.

9

Kidney transplant can be done preemptively i.e. no need to wait to be on dialysis before doing a transplant.

10

Kidney donation is life donating life.

Tribute to Dr Raj Purgus

~ adminrenalassociationmauritius ~ 2 Comments

It is with great sadness that Renal Association wishes to honour the memory of our colleague and friend Dr Raj Purgus. He passed away on the 21st of April after a year long illness. Born in Fond du Sac in the north of Mauritius, he studied at Royal College Port Louis and then went to read medicine in Marseille.

He practised Nephrology in Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux Universitaires de Marseille initially specialising in dialysis then transplantation. He gave nearly 40 years of loyal service to his hospital and patients.

Dr S Gaya, Consultant in Charge at J Nehru Hospital, got to know him quite well. He makes this heart felt tribute:

” Although he settled down in Marseille, he always had his native country close to his heart. I first met him in the early 1990’s during one of his many visits to Mauritius. He was proposing to donate some dialysis machines to the Ministry of Health. “

“He has always wanted to share his knowledge and experience in Nephrology with the local team. Since 2006, he expressed a wish to organize training for local surgeons in kidney transplantation and for MHOs to have full time training in Nephrology with the help of Aix-Marseille University.”

“He has helped in the upgrading of our dialysis services through his yearly “Renal Week” when he would visit all the dialysis units in the regional hospitals. During that week, he would give lectures and talk patiently to patients and relatives. He would discuss tirelessly with the nephrologists and nursing staff on issues related to dialysis, transplantation and nephrology.”

Renal Week Programme in 2015, intense as ever.

“He was always very enthusiastic and his advice was appreciated by one and all. He was a very kind hearted person, very devoted to his patients and always ready to help. He was a very good friend and he was a great fan of Manchester United Football club. We would often have lengthy discussions on WhatsApp regarding the team performances in certain games!”

“He is sorely missed by his family both in Mauritius and Marseille as well by all his patients and friends. Thank you Raj for all that you have contributed to Renal services in Mauritius. May your soul rest in peace.”

We have lost a great colleague and friend indeed. May we be able to continue the work he started. He leaves behind his wife and two sons. Our deepest sympathies to them and his family.

Tributes from his hospital in Marseille and in the Mauritius press. Click for a closer view.

The Founding of the Renal Association

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Dialysis came to Mauritius well before the first nephrologist. Even after, the number of nephrologists built up very slowly. An association remained a pipe dream for a long time…

Dr K Fagoonee, the founding president of the Renal Association, explains:

“The idea of the Renal Association germinated five years ago, in March 2015, between two of the present founding members, but at that time, there were too few Nephrologists in Mauritius, so it was pocketed till last year, when we had a greater ‘force de frappe’, in terms of members. After many deliberations, all founding members met on the 26 July 2019 to set up The Renal Association.”

“Here’s hoping that our association will pay tribute to those Father Figures who set the blueprints of Nephrology in Mauritius as early as the 1990’s as well as nurture new generations of Nephrologists. They will drive the future of Nephrology for the centuries to come….”

So, eight Mauritian dedicated nephrologists working in the public hospitals met in Port Louis on a winter evening almost a year ago. The Renal Association was born. There is now the hope that Nephrology in Mauritius will at long last emerge from the shadows. It really needs to.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) unfortunately affects 170,000 of our compatriots. 1,400 of them are on regular dialysis and 350 have functioning renal transplants. Morbidity and mortality are shockingly high and yet CKD is still little known to the public at large.

Although new therapeutic options are being devised to improve the life of those affected, delivery of effective care in Mauritius needs improving a lot. Our main goal has to promote the profession of Nephrology to improve the plight of kidney patients.

We want to facilitate co-operation between all interested parties in Nephrology, to promote continuous professional development of health care providers, to organize regular scientific meetings and seminars and engage eagerly with the Mauritian public on health promotion and education issues.

We want kidney health for all. Kidney health for everyone, everywhere.