HEALTH experts are urging people to take care of their kidneys as part of World Kidney Day.

Colchester Primary Care Centre is hosting a drop-in event on Thursday to highlight how important the organs are and how to look after them.

Dr Cserep Gabor, a consultant nephrologist at Colchester Hospital Trust, said it is the second consecutive year that Colchester Primary Care Centre had hosted a World Kidney Day event.

“We were very pleased with how it went last year because the day helped draw attention to the area of kidney health,” he said. “People tend to be aware of the importance of keeping a healthy heart but we need to work harder to get across messages about maintaining healthy kidneys.

“There are over 50,000 people in the UK whose kidneys have failed already and more than three million who have kidney disease or who are at risk of getting it. People with diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of kidney problems or from a black or Asian background are particularly at risk.”

A purple kidney-shaped cake will be the centrepiece of the event at the primary care centre in Turner Road from 9am to 5pm.

Members of the public, patients and visitors are invited to drop in for the event that has been organised by Colchester Dialysis Centre staff in partnership with the Colchester Kidney Patients Association.

Dr Gabor and kidney specialist colleagues Dr Kim Sinnamon and Dr Prash Khawnekar as well as renal nurse Nikki Brownlie, will be on hand to give advice about kidney health and carry out blood pressure and BMI checks. Other attractions on the day will include a zumbathon by staff, tombola, raffle, cake sale and children’s lucky dip.

Money raised on the day will be donated to Kidney Research UK.