THE number of kidney patients has increased alarmingly to around two crore in the country as one in every seven person is now suffering from it with over 40,000 dying annually. News reports on Saturday made the disclosure and said the number has increased to 18 percent now from 9 percent only 10 years ago. Reports attributed unhealthy lifestyle and lack of awareness for the alarming rise of the disease. We believe it is a timely warning and large-scale treatment measures must be put in place in hospitals besides running public awareness campaign at the grassroots. More specialized medicare out-lets may also be set-up at districts and divisional level to make kidney treatment available at lower cost.
The issue captured media headlines on Friday as preparatory to organizing World Kidney Day in March 12. Experts made the stunning disclosure on the occasion saying the number of kidney patients in the country may rise to 28 to 30 percent in next 10 years if the present trend continues. The situation may turn alarming, they cautioned. We know this is a killer disease and the rise in the number of overweight people and drinking of polluted water are certainly causing it to multiply and the government and private sector must work together address the menace.
To cure kidney diseases, different countries are carrying out extensive research on stem cells to replace organism, besides making dialysis and other treatment less expensive. But the poor medicare system in Bangladesh is not enough to stop the rise of the disease. We must say as dialysis and kidney replacement are known solutions, these opportunities must be increased in public and private hospitals and initiative must be made at the same time to make kidney treatment possible at reasonable cost.
News report said alone over 2 lakh people in greater Chittagong region are suffering from chronic renal failure. But the region has no better kidney transplant facilities and the dialysis facilities are also very limited. Bangladesh Kidney Foundation statistics shows around 20 lakh people in the region are suffering from kidney and related diseases while the reported two lakhs are chronic renal patients. Furthermore, 20,000 patients need regular dialysis, which is however affordable only to 10 percent patients.
Dialysis, which a patient needs about thrice a week, is really expensive but as the government is making most medicare facilities private, common people in need of treatment are getting almost abandoned. Moreover, kidney donation is not widespread and lack of awareness is a big problem how one can support other.
We believe the government needs an urgent plan to overcome the kidney related health challenges by concerted efforts and setting up of a kidney bank may be a right step at this moment.
