The number of kidney patients in the country is increasing at an alarming rate as about 2 crore people are suffering from the disease.
“About two crore people are now somehow suffering from the kidney disease which was about one crore 10 years back. The rate of the chronic kidney disease has now reached at 18 percent, increasing 50 percent during the period,” Prof Dr Harun-Ur-Rashid, chairman of Department of Nephrology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), told BSS yesterday.
“If the present rate of the disease continues, it will reach at 28-30 percent in the next 10 years,” he said.
Prof Harun said one in every six persons has been suffering from this disease and 40,000 people die of longtime kidney failure annually.
He said 95 percent kidney patients of the country are unable to bear the cost of treatment. As a result, they slowly move towards death.
About Tk 2 lakh is needed for a patient a year if he or she does dialysis two times a week which is very expensive for general people, Prof Harun said, adding only 2000-3000 out of 40,000 kidney failure patients can afford the treatment cost.
According to the statistics, 64 percent kidney patients undertake treatment by selling their property, 20 percent take loan, 15 percent get government and non-government assistance and only five percent can afford the treatment cost.
Prof Harun said the treatment of end stage renal disease is either dialysis or transplantation and both forms of treatment are very expensive and out of reach for majority of people.
As a result, he said, 70 percent of kidney failure patients, who started dialysis, stop treatment in three months because they do not have money.
Prof Harun said lack of nephrologists in the country also hinders the treatment of kidney patients. “There is one nephrologists for 25 lakh people but the ratio should be one for 2/3 lakh people,” he added.
Prof Harun, who is the president of Kidney Foundation, said lack of awareness is also responsible for the increasing number of kidney patients in the country.
Quoting a survey of the foundation, he said, 60 percent people of the BSMMU area are not aware of diabetes and high blood pressure, which are the main reasons for kidney disease.
Prof Harun said the number of diabetic and high blood pressure (HBP) patients is also rising alarmingly. At present 4.5 percent and 18 percent people have been suffering from diabetes and HBP respectively, which was 2.5 percent and 10 percent 10 years ago, he said.
He said if the awareness campaign on diabetes and HBP are strengthened, the number of kidney patients would be reduced to a great extent.