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In the wake of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, countless dreams were shattered, especially those of children. The closure of schools and the economic strains faced by families left many young minds without access to education, a loss that deeply concerned us at Mumbai Kidney Foundation.

Our Response: Care to Teach

In our quest to empower the future, we launched “Care to Teach.” This visionary initiative aimed to provide hope, education, and a brighter future to children who had lost access to learning due to the pandemic.

Making an Impact, One Child at a Time

We are proud to announce that Care to Teach has already touched the lives of over 500 students and counting. Each child was granted financial assistance of RS 20,000 which covered essential education expenses like tuition fees, school supplies, and stationery. This support was not limited by any boundaries; it was open to any child in need of financial assistance. A total amount of RS 1,00,00,000  and more was gathered and given for children’s education.

A Lifeline During Challenging Times

The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges for families across the nation. Education became a luxury that many could not afford. However, thanks to the Care to Teach initiative, children from various backgrounds, including those studying at schools, naming a few of the many –  Smt J B Khot High School, Our Lady Of Remedy School, Mother Teressa High School, Pragnya Bodhini High School , Guru Nanak Mission High School , Holy Angels Kindergarten , mary immaculate girls high school  and colleges namely, Shri. T.P. Bhatia college of science, KES Junior college of Arts , Elphinstone college , Niranjana Majithia College, St. Rock’s College of Commerce and many many more such schools and colleges,  were given a lifeline to continue their education.

Mumbai Kidney Foundation: Nurturing Dreams

Care to Teach stands as a testament to the Mumbai Kidney Foundation’s commitment to humanity. It was not just a program; it was a beacon of hope during the darkest of times.

We express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported and believed in this initiative. Together, we have sown the seeds of knowledge and opportunity in the hearts of these children.

Mumbai Kidney Foundation’s mission statement is “Sharing The Burden”. To this end, we are initiating three projects to provide aid to those affected by COVID-19.
Breath A Life
With an increase in COVID cases, we noticed that many people require oxygen either before they get access to a hospital or post-hospitalization when they are at home under COVID care. Providing oxygen concentrators for such people can help ensure that they can get the necessary treatment at home. We want to be able to provide oxygen concentrator services for such people so that they can decrease their hospital stay and care for themselves at home. If you know someone who requires an oxygen concentrator, please connect them with us. You can SMS/Whatsapp us on 9892008228/9820767272/ 7666674011/9930746030.
Requirement: A doctor’s prescription for home oxygen.

The Mumbai Kidney Foundation Annual Day was held on Sunday, March 2018 at the Aspee Auditorium, Malad from 9 am to 2 pm followed by Lunch. 

The MKF Annual day, done every year for the last 8 years is a celebration of the inner strength and resilience of our patients.

It was a cultural extravaganza with performances by dialysis and transplant patients. It was heartening to see the enthusiasm and joie de vivre of these patients. Our patients practiced for 3 months prior to the annual day balancing their dialysis schedules, jobs and family responsibilities. The patients are not professional dancers or singers but the programme was a mix of songs, dance, skits, fashion show, mimicry with full on masti, josh, fun and dhamaal!! It was well appreciated and served as a source of inspiration to the 500 plus patients and relatives in the audience. All our patients attended in large numbers with their near and dear ones and we had a packed auditorium! 

We salute the spirit and determination of our dialysis and transplant patients to live happily against all odds. Their courage in the face of illness is a lesson for everyone on how to overcome any burden in life and stay happy.

While the country was celebrating the birthday of the father of the nation on October 2 2017, a group of doctors decided it was time to call for a ‘Salt Satyagraha’ again. The objective of this Satyagraha campaign, for which the medical experts have roped in NGOs and dieticians, is to get the government to raise taxes on the seasoning and adopt other measures so that the average Indian reduces his/her intake of it.

Dr Umesh Khanna, Consultant Nephrologist, Lancelot Kidney and GI centre and Chairman of the Mumbai Kidney Foundation explained that consuming salt and sugar above the daily stipulated limits leads to diabetes and blood pressure problems, which together claim as many lives annually as tobacco does. “But while cigarette packets must have mandatory pictorial warnings, the snacks one consumes on a day to day basis, carry no such announcements. Most of them aren’t even labeled with details about the salt content.”

Dr Hemal Shah who heads the department of nephrology at Saifee Hospital and is the secretary of the Mumbai Nephrology Group, added, “While an individual must not consume more than 5 g of salt a day, a small pack of potato chips alone contains about 7.5 g of salt, which is 1 ½ day’s quota, but there’s no label pointing this out nor any regulations that require food manufacturers to specify the salt content on packaging. Hence we are adopting a multi-pronged approach, to spread awareness and change regulations concerning food labeling. Dr J S Pai, Director for Nutrition, Government of India, was present at our first Mumbai event, held at IIT Mumbai on November 12. And, we will shortly be approaching the health minister for support too.”

Highlighting the dangers of over consumption, Dr Arun Shah, a senior nephrologist and renal specialist who practices at Lilavati Hospital cited an article that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, which, “stated that reducing dietary salt by 3 g per day is projected to reduce the annual number of new cases of coronary heart disease by 60,000 to 120,000, stroke by 32,000 to 66,000, and heart attacks by 54,000 to 99,000.”

Dr Khanna pointed out that the movement has already started to gather momentum with a number of doctors in New Delhi expressing their desire to be associated with it as well. “The Sapiens Foundation in Chennai has already been doing some work in this area. They had invited Dr Graham MacGregor, a professor of cardiovascular medicine who was instrumental in reducing the salt intake of UK residents to talk about the subject.”

The November 12 event saw several groups rally together to lend their support to the cause. Among them were Breach Candy Hospital Nephrologist Dr Bhupendra Gandhi’s NGO, the Amar Gandhi Foundation, which creates awareness about organ donation, Mumbai Nephrology Group, COREP Trust, the Mumbai Kidney Foundation,  the Sapiens health Foundation (Chennai) Narmada Kidney Foundation, Indian Dietetics Association and all the Nephrologists of Mumbai (MNG). Currently, over 100 Mumbai-based nephrologists and dietitians and over 70 Chennai-based nephrologists and cardiologists are associated with the campaign.

Dr Khanna told us their approach involves spreading awareness by collaborating with NGOs and advocacy groups, and requesting the FMCG industry to manufacture low salt options of commonly eaten snacks. “We are also working towards getting the hospitality industry to mention the salt content of dishes on menus, offer low salt options of dishes, to take away the salt shakers from tables at restaurants (allow guests to ask for them, if they feel they must) and to place standees on tables with messages that encourage people to eat less salt.”