NMC ProVita Launches Home Dialysis Service

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there are reports of more than 2,000 patients receiving dialysis, and this number is expected to increase by 100% by 2023. The high incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the UAE has been attributed to the prevalence of diabetes, obesity and hypertension. Home dialysis offers patients a number of benefits, and NMC ProVita International Medical Center – a subsidiary of the UAE’s largest private healthcare provider, NMC Healthcare – is offering this service to patients in the UAE through Reaya Mumayaza.

Multiple studies have shown that patients who have dialysis at home have better treatment outcomes and improved self-reported quality of life. Home dialysis is less expensive, it reduces the risk of infection and the lack of travel time is a significant benefit, especially for people with mobility issues.

Home dialysis offers greater scheduling flexibility, fewer food restrictions and better outcomes. The treatment can also be administered for longer times and more frequently, which is less stressful for the patient’s body. For the majority of people, dialysis involves being connected to a machine in hospital three to four times per week for at least three hours each time, and some patients have to travel long distances to receive the treatment.

Mr. Abdulla, the son of a patient named Osha Saeed, said, “It is such a relief that my mother can have dialysis at her bedside now. We no longer need to travel back and forth to the hospital and she can receive the treatment in familiar surroundings.”

Prasanth Manghat, CEO and Executive Director of NMC Health, said, “We seek to enhance our patients’ quality of life with customised care and personalised services improving overall health and well-being of our communities. We are very pleased to offer this elite home service providing each patient with their own dialysis unit to reduce the risk of infection. This will improve the efficiency of our medical care while eliminating unnecessary travel time for patients and reducing the burden on the UAE’s inpatient dialysis centres.”

According to the National Kidney Foundation, 10 percent of the world’s population is affected by CKD. While home dialysis is relatively new here, in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Mexico, the Netherlands and New Zealand, around 20% of the people who receive dialysis opt for home dialysis.