Students, staff and faculty from Qatar University’s (QU) three colleges took part in a health awareness event to commemorate World Kidney Day.
Participants from the College of Health Sciences (CHS), College of Medicine (CMED) and College of Pharmacy attended a lecture on “Obesity and Kidney Stones”, presented by Dr Karima Boubaker, nephrologist at Al Emadi Hospital.
The speaker noted that obesity may be a risk factor for the formation of renal stones. “The prevalence of nephrolithiasis has been increasing over the past half-century, in parallel with marked changes in dietary habits. Simultaneously, another untoward consequence of the changes in dietary habits was the epidemic progression of obesity,” Dr Boukaber said, adding: “This temporal coincidence in the prevalence of obesity and nephrolithiasis led to the suspicion that obesity might be a risk factor for the formation of renal stones.”
QU health students also visited Fahad Bin Jassim Kidney Centre with a guided tour of the facilities, a dialysis demonstration, and interaction with patients.
During the visit, students had the opportunity to meet Dr Mohamed Amin Elesnawi, nephrologist and chief co-ordinator for World Kidney Day awareness programme at Fahad Bin Jassim Kidney Centre.
“Kidney disease has become an epidemic, one out of nine people suffer from this disease without being aware of it,” said Dr Elesnawi, as he highlighted the importance of healthy
kidneys.
Commenting on the trip, CHS student Mayada Magdy Abd el-rahman said they were all impressed with the advanced tools, equipment and care provided to patients at the centre.
CMED student Omar Jamil said they learned about renal failure and its treatment during the visit and it made him realise that good health is a real blessing.
Dr Mohamed Amin Elesnawi briefs QU students during their visit to the Fahad Bin Jassim Kidney Centre.
