AdminA convoy of Harley Davidson riders rode to support the opening of the Chronic Kidney Disease Education Center by The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) of Malaysia.
Members of the HTC Motorcycle Group (HTC) made the trip from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh to attend the launch.
HTC and Yayasan Dialisis Pendidikan Akhlak Perak were the primary sponsors for the center’s establishment and renovation. HTC Motorcycle Club members have raised RM 16,450 to cover the renovation costs.
The motorcycle club, which has over 150 Harley Davidson owners, has been supporting NKF Malaysia since 2017, having previously donated four dialysis machines.
According to the most recent Malaysian Dialysis and Transplantation Registry statistics, there are over 49,111 dialysis patients in the country. Every year, approximately 8,000 new patients are diagnosed with kidney disease, and this figure is expected to rise. The majority were receiving hemodialysis, and the other patients were receiving peritoneal dialysis.
A nationwide study on the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Malaysia published in 2020, found that CKD diagnosis awareness was still low at 5%. A growing number of people with CKD are unaware that they have it until later stages, when symptoms start to appear.
Chronic Kidney Disease Education Center
The centre aims to provide information and support regarding dietary and lifestyle changes for patients, especially for the underprivileged. Among its services is assisting patients in selecting the best renal replacement therapy, which includes palliative care, peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, and kidney transplant.
The centre will also loan patients equipment such as glucometers and blood pressure monitors so they can monitor their health at home.
“Today marks another achievement for us, as we open this CKD education centre in Ipoh,” Khor Xin Yun, CEO of NKF Malaysia said. She stated that the NKF has significantly increased its resources to promote the early detection and prevention of kidney and kidney-related diseases through the establishment of regional units.
“We now can proceed with our health screenings, outreach activities, and intervention programmes in the suburban and rural areas,” Khor added.
NKF Malaysia is a nonprofit charity that aids Malaysians with end-stage kidney failure who cannot access or cannot afford dialysis treatments. It is currently helping over 1,700 dialysis patients receive subsidised dialysis treatment at 29 dialysis centres across the country.
