City Desk :
Speakers at a roundtable meeting emphasized on the concerted and planned efforts of government, non-government and voluntary organizations to ensure kidney treatment for all.
They highlighted the widespread prevalence of kidney disease, its fatal consequences, expensive treatment costs, and the fact that the vast majority of kidney failure patients suffer a tragic death without treatment.
The roundtable meeting was organized by the voluntary organization Kidney Awareness, Monitoring and Prevention Society (KAMPS) on Saturday at the conference room of Daily Prothom Alo in the capital’s Kawran Bazar, as part of the programme to mark World Kidney Day 2022.
Speakers said that every effort should be made to ensure the right to treatment of kidney patients of all walks of life in remote areas of the country irrespective of rich and poor or disadvantaged groups.
Health Minister Zahid Malek MP forwarded a video message to the program.
Prof Dr Sharfuddin Ahmed, Vice-Chancellor, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University was present as panel discussant in the round table meeting.
Dr MA Samad, Founder and President of KAMPS and Head of the Department of Kidney of Anwar Khan Modern Medical College Hospital conducted the round table meeting.
In his message health minister stressed the widespread awareness among people to prevent the kidney diseases referring that the treatment of this disease is critical and it’s cost is excessively high that is not possible to bear for lower income segment of people.
He said that the cause of increase in kidney disease should be investigated and necessary steps should be taken after analyzing why it is not being possible to reduce the medical expenses.
Eminent Nephrologist and Founder Chairman of Kidney Foundation, Prof. Dr. Harun or Rashid, Chairman of Standard Bank and former President of FBCCI, Qazi Akram Uddin Ahmed, eminent Urologist, Prof. Dr. MA Salam, Architect Iqbal Habib, Assistant Editor of daily Prothom Alo also a noted writer, Anisul Haque, Line Director, Non-Communicable Disease Control Program, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Prof. Dr. Mohammad Robed Amin, Principal of Kumudini Womens Medical College, Prof. Dr. Abdul Halim, Prof. Dr. Fazlur Rahman, former Captain of national cricket team, Gazi Ashraf Hossain Lipu, Prof. Dr. Harisul Huq addressed the roundtable as panel discussants.
Prof Dr MA Salam said that emphasis should be given to changing the eating habits of children and youth through the concerned government non-government organizations.
He said the generation must be protected as they will run the country in the future.
Prof Dr Sharfuddin Ahmed said, “The treatment of kidney disease is so expensive that it is difficult for even the rich to bear it. Since this disease is preventable, more importance should be given to prevention. For this, the government must play a leading role.”
Rezwan Salehin, Executive Director of the KAMPS said, “Kidney disease can be prevented by following certain rules and regulations. Therefore, it would be much easier to cure the disease if everyone from the public and private sectors came forward.”
