Manthali Municipality in Ramechhap district has launched a ‘free kidney check-up campaign’ in a bid to identify kidney patients and protect people from probable cases of renal ailments.

The municipality on Sunday declared the official launch of its free kidney checkup campaign amid a function organised at Manthali, the district headquarters of Ramechhap. The drive has been launched in coordination with the National Kidney Centre, a nonprofit social organisation with the largest haemodialysis treatment facility in the country.

Manthali Municipality aims to run kidney checks on all residents above six years of age. The record of the municipal office shows there are 51,600 people living in the municipality and around 6,000 of them are below six years of age.

“We plan to complete the kidney checkup campaign within two months. Health workers from the National Kidney Centre and the municipality will be mobilised to implement the campaign,” said Lilaraj Paudel, the chief administrative officer at the municipality.

According to Paudel, preparations are underway to set up kidney checkup centres at 31 health units of the municipality, public schools, ward offices, vaccination centres and other suitable places.

Manthali Municipality has included the medical check-up plan in its policy and programmes of the current fiscal year. Mayor Ramesh Kumar Basnet claimed that Manthali would be the country’s first local unit to launch a health campaign catered to all citizens above six years of age.

“We will do everything possible to make this campaign a success,” said Basnet.

According to the municipal office, kidney tests in the health camps will be conducted using dipstick technology.

“If a person is diagnosed with a kidney problem during the initial testing, they will be referred to a hospital for further testing,” said Paudel, the chief administrative officer.

According to him, the dipstick test costs around Rs 50 per person.

The municipality on Sunday organised a workshop in Manthali to raise awareness on the campaign. Speaking at the programme, senior nephrologist Dr Rishi Kumar Kafle urged people to undergo regular kidney tests.

“Most Nepalis do not go for regular kidney tests. They visit the hospital only after their health condition turns critical. A simple urine test can determine the condition of the kidneys and alert you if there are any medical complications,” said Kafle.

According to Kafle, an estimated three million people in the country live with kidney ailments and around 3,000 people are diagnosed with such ailments each year. Kafle estimates that around 5,000 renal patients regularly undergo dialysis in the country at present.

The National Kidney Centre established a dialysis centre in Manthali three years ago. According to the dialysis centre, 37 patients are receiving regular dialysis service from the centre.