Life Cycle is appealing for support in its fund-raising efforts, with its main event this year being a cycle from Malta to Assisi in Italy.
The Life Cycle Organisation, founded in 1999, aims to create awareness and generate support for patients suffering from end-stage renal failure (chronic kidney disease).
The venture will be performed by volunteers, who will be cycling 180 km per day for 10 days, come rain or shine, to raise money for patients whose life depends on dialysis.
The aim of this year's fund-raising activity is to procure a Blood Analysis Machine, which costs about Lm10,000, and a number of kidney machines required to furnish the new extension.
The government has extended the haemodialysis facilities at St Luke's Hospital to meet the increasing demand of patients. The extension includes rooms for paediatric patients, who require special care during dialysis.
The Life Cycle back-up committee is appealing for support, said Tony Bugeja, Life Cycle committee member and nursing officer in charge the Renal Unit .
There are currently about 160 patients on haemodialysis, or peritoneal dialysis at Renal Unit in St Luke's Hospital - 85 patients are on haemodialysis and need to attend four-hourly treatment sessions three times a week, while 75 patients are on peritoneal dialysis, meaning they carry out a special treatment at home.
The ages of the patients vary from six years old to over 80. Their lives depend on dialysis, without which they would die. Their only hope to stop treatment is by undergoing a transplant, which is, unfortunately, very rare and means that more and more patients would be remaining on dialysis for the rest of their lives.
The ever-increasing number of patients requires that the government upgrades the services regularly to provide the quantity required and the optimum quality.
For each patient on haemodialysis, the government spends approximately Lm10,000 per year.
Some patients cannot receive a transplant due to age, or medical contraindications and, therefore, they have to remain on dialysis for the rest of their lives.
Dialysis also requires a specialised water treatment plant, APD machines, dialysis chairs and beds, air conditioning, specialised disposable items, specialised nurses and more.
It is estimated that the running cost to treat the current number of patients for one year is over Lm1,600,000.
The Renal Unit's mission is also to improve the quality of life of the patients. New techniques are, therefore, continuously being introduced to keep up to date with the latest technology in dialysis.
Such technology requires extra funds. Indeed, dialysis treatment has been described as a bottomless pit when it comes to the need for funds.
Any donations can be sent to Life Cycle Organisation, c/o Renal Unit, St Luke's Hospital, G'Mangia.
Donations may also be made to the following bank accounts: HSBC 614256486; BOV 14814521017