The Best Imaging you can get….

That pain you have been having in your chest, or is it that pain on your knees whenever you stand up, maybe it is that bizarre growth in your toe,these are all valid reasons for visiting a health facility .

The imaging services at The Karen Hospital will blow you away! For a fee,of course, you can have your body scanned sufficiently to get the best results. No guess work, no assumptions! The scan will tell all you need to know about your internal body.

You do not need extreme injuries to walk into the health facility and get expert imaging, doctors recommend that you get a check at least once a year to ensure that you stay healthy. Athletes can pay a visit to the department after sustaining minor or major injuries in order to get the right kind of treatment. With a state of the art 3 Tesla Digital Magnetic Resonance Imagining (MRI) scanner that uses magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed images, the radiologists team at The Karen Hospital comprises of experienced specialists that are able to give you clearer, more precise and accurate readings and interpretations of the perfect images produced.

State-of-the-art 3 Tesla Digital MRI

Do not wait until it is too late, visit The Karen Hospital, and get the right service.

It is never too early to have your kidneys checked!

Veronica Aswani, 48 has much to tell about her 12 years in search of freedom from her ailment. Though uncertain of what it was in the earlier stages, she was not prepared for the strain on her physical, emotional and financial abilities once she was diagnosed and started on treatment.

“My family has a history of High Blood Sugar, and I thought nothing much of my illness but that. I was treated for about 12 years before the pain became unbearable. I am also lucky I had my children when I was younger because they are now adults, with my four children all grown up, I am safe.” Ms Aswani narrated.

It was after about 5 years of her high blood sugar treatment that she started to notice that things were getting worse. She would get extremely tired and consequently, she gained a lot of weight. She would often consult her doctor in a Nakuru based hospital for further treatment and diagnosis, but it was in 2011 when the pain on her left abdomen struck to the extent of her losing consciousness, she then thought it best to seek a second opinion in The Karen Hospital Nairobi. 

“The doctor in Nakuru quickly identified my pain even without testing, but I felt doubtful and decided to rush to Karen Hospital to confirm his claims. I was not prepared for what I was going to be told. My Kidneys had failed by 85% and it is almost impossible to live on the 15% that is left, I was immediately admitted and started on dialysis, where the machines took up the work of the kidneys; they removed excess waste and water,” added the Kiswahili and Religious Education Teacher.

A hopefully Ms Aswani was advised on kidney transplant as a means of bringing an end to her suffering and with about 5 potential donors, Veronica was certain that her decade of ingesting drugs was about over, but with every donor match came a problem, and for over a year she was unable to get a perfect match.

The match came in July 2013, and as she lay in the hospital full of desire to make her health better, her only hope at the time her brother, was denied the opportunity to save his sisters life. This was after tests showed that his sugar levels had increased.

“It was one of the worst days of my life, I had spent over half a million for the procedure and just before we went on he became sick. It was very frustrating. I continued to attend dialysis as I waited for another match. I am luckier than many Kidney failure patients, my blood group is AB, so finding a match is easy as compared to other blood groups and in December 2014, I was blessed again with a donor.” Ms Aswani continued.

Ms Aswani is one of many Kenya’s that only sought renal care after showing symptoms of Kidney failure. She is among many that fail to have frequent kidney tests and only get to the urologist, a urinary tract specialist, when it is almost too late.

Dr Moturi, Karen Hospital Urologist said that many people only come to him when they have already developed extensive kidney failure signs. He added that it is important for those that consider themselves healthy to get tested for high blood pressure, hypertension, urine tests and diabetes, which are major signs of likeliness to kidney failure.

“We need to institute constructive measures to kidney diseases, get screened early enough to allow for better and more curative treatment. Do not wait for the symptoms, it will already be too late,” Dr Moturi reiterated. 

WORLD KIDNEY DAY

The Karen Hospital is set to have a screening center in preparation for the World Kidney Day. Together with the urology department in Karen Hospital, Dr Moturi will observe a three day screening of diabetes, hypertension, blood sugar and urine to mark the special day.
“From the 9^th to 31ST  March, 2015, our doors will be open for screening as we mark the World Kidney day on March, 12^th 2015. The Karen Hospital will provide the necessary equipment for people to be tested and incase there is need for reference they will be referred appropriately.” Dr Moturi stated.

This is a perfect opportunity for many that have no knowledge of their renal health to get answers and avoid being a little too late. Ms Aswani added that had she known she would have tested earlier and maybe would be in a better position. 

“I am still waiting on my life changing transplant. The other one failed and was removed only two days after the surgery. I have never felt so depressed in my life. I have had to go on leave because the trauma from the last surgery is still fresh in my mind. I have to wait another six months before I undergo another surgery. Eat healthy, exercise and go get tested, save yourself.”Ms Aswani concluded.

By Rosehilda Kamanga
Images Courtesy of brandcare.net and worldkidneyday.org

How to assist in the mental and physical development of your child…

Have you found yourself wondering why your child has been eating less, or is having difficulty breathing ?Is he or she less active then before, yet all the curative ideas  from your fellow mothers in your Chama meetings or book club don't seem to work? The most logical conclusion is that they are incorrect, and something could be wrong.

That is the main reason why Karen Hospital Paediatric Doctor Evelyne Nga’ng’a, is set to head a team at a Paediatric Forum to help educate and guide new parents on how to properly raise their children to ensure proper development. The forum set for March, 28^th Sat 2015 is themed, Mental, Physical and Nutritional Health Talk which will host both the paediatric doctor and a nutritionist.

Dr Ng’ang’a insists that it is important to seek medical attention for babies, in case there is a variation in their behavior from what would be considered normal. The doctor that offers a variety of paediatric service in the hospital adds that it is important to have knowledge on the proper development of a child, to avoid making inconclusive decisions in regard to a child’s health.

“If you find there are differences in your child’s behavior in terms of looks, activity, delayed milestones like speech development, bring them to the hospital, and get them checked. Expert advice can help properly build your child’s mental and physical health,” Dr Ng’ang’a said.

A child may have various problems that may be hard to detect from the outside. According to the Medlin Plus Medical Encyclopedia, premature and post mature babies have high risk of complications like brain damage that could interfere with their mental development. While a research done on Childhood Mental Health by Harvard University claims that regardless of how a child is born, the foundation of their sound mental health is built on early life experiences; the relationships with parents and relatives is the foundation of their developing brains. 

The paediatrics publications claim that it is the paediatric practitioners who help in the proper growth of our children. Their guidance, knowledge and support emphasizes on prevention and a healthy life that leads to proper development of children.

Photo courtesy of ghananewsagency.org

Dr Ng’ang’a , a paediatric expert, is therefore persist that  parents of children below 2 years should attend the forum at the Karen Hospital (Karen Resource Centre) from 10am and get a firm foundation for the better of their children.

 “It will be an open and free forum, for parents to ask questions and gain knowledge. It is important for them to gain information and know what to look out for in their children. The talk will be a great platform for parents to learn something beneficial for the family.” Dr Ng’ang’a concluded. 

By: Rosehilda Kamanga