Rising number of kidney patients
Kidney check-up
facilities should
be arranged in
different places
of the country to detect the disease
Experts at a weeklong kidney camp in Tangail recently observed that about 2 crore people of Bangladesh were suffering from any sorts of kidney diseases, according to a report in this newspaper yesterday. Since the treatment cost of this disease is very high at least 10 percent of patients cannot afford it. As a result most of the countrys kidney patients die without treatment, whereas only the awareness can prevent nearly 50 to 60 percent of kidney failure. It is difficult to predict kidney disease as it may inflict a person suddenly.
According to health experts, the number of kidney patients is increasing in the country due to lack of awareness, reckless living, unchecked diabetes, high blood pressure, habit of smoking, absence of physical exercise, consumption of fatty and junk foods. Treatment of kidney diseases is expensive and a person with a terminal case of kidney disease has to undergo dialysis on a regular basis. Many families do not have the financial ability to do so.
What is needed is to take preventive measures that can keep a person free from kidney ailment. There are people who take anti-biotic medicines, particularly painkillers, without prescriptions of doctors. This habit may ultimately lead to kidney failure. Awareness about kidney disease is growing in the country, but more awareness should be created. Intake of adulterated and toxic food items can cause kidney disease. So, the government should check adulteration of food items in the interest of public health. People suffering from diabetes should be particularly careful about kidney disease. Symptoms of kidney diseases should be circulated by media on a regular basis for the benefit of the common people.
Kidney check-up camps should be arranged in different places of the country to detect the disease. Early detection can help recovery from the disease. The kidney departments of the existing hospitals should be strengthened and the kidney related examinations should also be brought within the financial means of kidney patients. There are kidney departments in many government and private hospitals in the country. But full-fledged kidney hospitals should be established under government and private initiatives. Doctors on kidney disease should be posted at district and upazila hospitals. There is no alternative to expediting campaign to generate awareness among the people. The government and non governmental organizations should seek to motivate people in general to maintain a healthier lifestyle.
