Rates of chronic illnesses such as diabetes are higher in parts of East Toronto than the city average. There are several reasons why. Neighbourhoods with a large East Asian population have higher rates of heart disease and diabetes, due to an increased genetic risk. In addition, five neighbourhoods in Michael Garron Hospital’s catchment are identified by the City of Toronto as having a high percentage of low-income households, another factor that affects risk for chronic disease.
The Neo Azad Foundation Kidney Centre offers patients with kidney disease a one-stop shop. Here, they will be supported by a multidisciplinary team, and given that 70 to 80 per cent of patients with kidney disease have diabetes, endocrinologists will be consulted with regularly. The Centre will also offer more patient education and training, including joint workshops on diabetes and kidney disease. Additionally, it will offer home peritoneal dialysis training on site, eliminating the need for patients to transfer to another hospital for this service.
“You can imagine how difficult it is for the patient who has such a good relationship with the team here to all of a sudden leave everything and go to a new hospital just to do peritoneal dialysis,” says Dr. Miten Dhruve, Director of the Nephrology Division at Michael Garron Hospital. “From the new Centre, we’ll be able to provide that critical service for our patients, making their health journey that much easier. Thank you to the Neo Azad Foundation for making our vision for our patients a reality."