Dr. Williams ready to lend a hand

While St.Vincent and the Grenadines paves the way for the establishment of a HaemoDialysis Unit, Vincentian-born Dr. Colville Williams, a Houston, Texas-based kidney specialist of 12 years experience, strongly believes that a Peritoneal Dialysis Unit may be more suitable for this country.

Dr. Williams, who recently vacationed at home, said Peritoneal Dialysis and Haemo Dialysis were both effective in cleansing the waste products from the body. He however noted that Peritoneal Dialysis is a lot cheaper than Haemo Dialysis, which is another option one has when Peritoneal Dialysis fails.{{more}}

“In summary,” Dr. Williams said, “a third world country like St.Vincent and the Grenadines would primarily want to use Peritoneal Dialysis and Haemo-Dialysis as a back up.”

Peritoneal Dialysis is currently used in St.Vincent and the Grenadines to treat kidney patients and entails putting a specialized fluid into the body and exchanging the body fluids.

Dr. Williams, who manages two dialysis centres in Texas, a home programme and chronic out-patient dialysis centre, said the reason why Peritoneal Dialysis has not been as successful as it should was as a result of several factors. He however explained that the system fails because some patients may be afflicted by infections and obstructive catheters while others may not be candidates for Peritoneal Dialysis since they might be suffering from hernia in the abdomen.

“Haemo-Dialysis needs to be examined closely as to its applicability to the Vincentian public,” said Dr.Williams.

He explained that the main causes of enstaged kidney disease were the result of hypertension and diabetes. He further noted that education and prevention of hypertension and diabetes were paramount in preventing problems of the kidney. He said Government could address these issues since in the end they would have less need for dialysis.

Dr.Williams said that when dialysis is necessary, expert input was necessary to tailor a situation for the Vincentian public. He disclosed that he had been lending his expertise to the Government and was available to further lend his expertise.

“Kidney failure does not only entail loss of kidney functions. It entails the body’s lack of ability to produce red blood cells,” Dr. Williams said, adding that the patient may become anemic and lack Vitamin D and bone components. He stated that the overall situation has a negative impact on families.