Restructuring nephrology services to combat COVID-19 pandemic: Report from a Middle Eastern country

Muhammad Asim; Mohamad Alkadi; Abdullah Hamad; Muftah Othman; Essa Abuhelaiqa; Omar Fituri; Ihab El-Madhoun; Hassan Al-Malki

doi:10.5527/wjn.v9.i2.9

Restructuring nephrology services to combat COVID-19 pandemic: Report from a Middle Eastern country

World J Nephrol. 2020 Nov 29;9(2):9-17. doi: 10.5527/wjn.v9.i2.9.

Authors

Muhammad Asim¹, Mohamad Alkadi², Abdullah Hamad², Muftah Othman², Essa Abuhelaiqa², Omar Fituri², Ihab El-Madhoun², Hassan Al-Malki²

Affiliations

¹ Nephrology Division, Department of Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar. masim@hamad.qa.
² Nephrology Division, Department of Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 has spread across the world and has been classified as a pandemic. It has overwhelmed the healthcare systems. Specifically, it has overstretched the intensive care units and renal replacement therapy services in many countries. In this paper, we discuss the reconfiguration of nephrology services in the State of Qatar during the current pandemic. We highlight the key strategies that have been implemented to ensure that renal replacement therapy capacity is not constrained in either the intensive care or ambulatory setting. Some innovative approaches for the safe delivery of ambulatory care to dialysis and kidney transplant patients are also discussed.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Infection control; Nephrology; Pandemic; Renal replacement therapy.

Publication types

Review