We are pleased to announce that we have launched our first-ever, industry-leading holiday dialysis travel guide, seeking to empower renal patients worldwide to live out their dreams of travel, whilst maintaining access to the vital, life-saving treatments they need.
As the world cautiously begins to make post-pandemic plans, health and safety are at the forefront of every traveller’s mind. This is especially the case for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients, who are more vulnerable to serious complications from COVID-19 and for whom access to dialysis treatment in a safe and comfortable environment is key to ensuring their ability to travel, both domestically and internationally.
With this in mind and with the aim to empower our patients to lead fulfilling lives, we have created a 82-page Travel Guide, a pioneering initiative for our industry. The guide combines crucial information on access to our dialysis clinics with travel insights from our renal care experts, patient associations and experienced holiday dialysis travellers. It covers some of the world’s most exciting destinations, from Iguazu Falls in Argentina to Almaty in Kazakhstan, as well as holiday favourites like the Balearic Islands and Barcelona in Spain. It also provides useful advice on how to navigate typical travel concerns for dialysis patients, such as nutrition.
Speaking about the initiative, Michaela Blomstrand, Director of Global Patient Experience and head of Diaverum’s holiday dialysis programme d.HOLIDAY, commented: “At Diaverum, we believe that the ability to travel is an enriching experience, increasing the well-being of our patients and their families alike, helping them to live the fulfilling life that everyone deserves. This guide is designed to whet their appetites for some of the most popular holiday destinations, where we can offer world-class care.”
The Travel Guide has been developed as part of d.HOLIDAY, our holiday dialysis programme, which gives patients access to high quality renal care through our global network of 450 clinics worldwide. Our company’s clinic staff help patients at all steps of their holiday planning, from defining an itinerary to ensuring continuity of care at their destination.
Filipe Almeida, renal care patient at Diaverum and experienced holiday dialysis traveller, spoke of his personal experiences with our organisation’s support: “At the start of dialysis, I worried that I would never travel again, and thus lose an important pleasure which I shared with my family. And this is where Diaverum has been so inspirational. With the help of my clinic, I learnt that it is easy to continue dialysis while travelling. There are many clinics around the world, but I also needed reassurance that I would find the same level of professional care when away from my home clinic.”
Diaverum’s Travel Guide is available in digital and print format, through its website and clinics worldwide, free of charge.