Reza Mahmud :
The kidney diseases are spreading alarmingly in Bangladesh. Experts said that about two crore people of our country are suffering from this problem.
“The kidney diseases are spreading alarmingly in our country. There are about two crore people suffering from different types of kidney diseases,” said Professor Dr. MA Samad, Founder and President of Kidney Awareness Monitoring and Prevention Society (KAMPS), and Chief Consultant and Head of Kidney Disease Department of Lab Aid Specialised Hospital in Dhaka.
He said, as the treatment is costly, most of the patients cannot afford it. As a result, a good number of patients die every year, about 40 thausand, in Bangladesh. He stressed on awareness instead of treatment to check the death rate.
“If we are conscious, it is possible to save lives of kidney patients by about 50 to 60 percent. Healthy life style and early treatment are a vanguard against immature death,” Professor Dr. MA Samad said.
He also said, a man may remain safe from kidney diseases by walking for 30 minutes a day, avoiding fat foods and eating fruits and vegetables regularly.
Sources said, the treatment of kidney diseases is costly in our country. The dialysis in a private hospital amounts to Tk 3500 to Tk 5000 each time. The poor people are unable to bear the costs. The experts said, in most of the cases the kidney diseases are not healed, adding 60 to 70 percent kidneys are found damaged before identification.
Professor Dr. Harun Ur Rashid, the Chairman of Kidney Foundation said, “There are only 96 centers in our country for kidney dialysis. The number is fewer considering the number of patients in our country. Eighty thousand patients have no access to the dialysis facility. So, the government and private hospitals should take initiatives to reduce dialysis cost.”
Experts said, obesity is a potent risk factor for the development of kidney disease. It increases the risk of developing major risk factors of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), like diabetes and hypertension. The obesity also has a direct impact on the development of CKD and end stage renal disease (ESRD).
In the case of individuals affected by obesity, the kidneys have to work harder, filtering more blood than normal (hyper filtration) to meet the metabolic demands of the increased body weight. The increase in function can damage the kidney and raise the risk of developing CKD in the long-term. They also blamed the unplanned urbanization for obesity. They said that the city appears congested considering the population.
