Guatemala has one of the highest rates of kidney disease in Latin America. For this reason, innovative and alternative treatments to traditional hemodialysis are needed, aimed at improving the quality of life of patients. Scientific meeting in Guatemala.
April 8, 2022. According to recent research, peritoneal dialysis is more efficient in renal replacement therapies. The quality of life achieved with peritoneal dialysis is 82% compared to 72% with traditional hemodialysis treatment. However, the most widespread therapy continues to be traditional hemodialysis due to market and health-related aspects and not so much because of the quality of life of patients.
This was one of the conclusions reached in the framework of the Scientific Meeting for Kidney Month, organized by UNOPS through the AMEDIGSS project, with the participation of the Guatemalan Social Security Institute (IGSS), international nephrologists, company Medicorp S.A. as the company providing peritoneal dialysis services to chronic renal patients, medical, academic community and institutions related to the kidney issue. The virtual event was held on April 6 and was attended by 120 participants.
Modern peritoneal dialysis presents a new paradigm of quality in renal care. This strategy seeks to adapt the therapy to the patient and not the patient to the therapy, it has been shown to offer excellent results with cost-effective treatments and with high quality standards.
Some of the forum specialists were Dr. Vicente Sánchez Polo, Head of HGE/IGSS Nephrology Service; Dr. Juan Carlos Alarcon, Manager of Clinical Operations and Education BRCS-LA; Dr. Alfonso Ramos, nephrologist, and independent consultant; Dr. Mauricio Sanabria, Manager of Scientific Affairs BRCS LA; Ana Eugenia Pérez, Medical Auditor of the Health Benefits Branch of IGSS; Dr. Santiago Torales, Coordinator of the Renal Replacement Treatment Component of AMEDIGSS - UNOPS, among others.
For IGSS, chronic kidney disease represents a significant challenge. For this reason, the Institute has been focusing its efforts toward a transformation in patient care, moving closer to the rights-holders with geographical proximity strategies and guaranteeing quality services.
Currently, the IGSS through the AMEDIGSS - UNOPS project provides renal patients with personalized peritoneal dialysis care in 7 centers located in the departmental area of Guatemala, under the coordination of a Base Center in the capital city. The virtual meeting is part of a series of academic and scientific exchange activities on innovations in the health sector led by AMEDIGSS.
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![Fredy Salazar]()
Fredy Salazar
Communicator UNOPS
