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Journalism of Courage
Blood pressure and blood sugar tests of all should be part of the national health programme to control growing hypertension and diabetes which cause kidney diseases, distinguished nephrologists said.
Like malaria and filaria eradication programmes, blood sugar and blood pressure tests of every individual should be included in the national health programme to control growing cases of hypertension, diabetes and kidney diseases, noted nephrologist and Padmabhusan award winner M K Mani said.
Not only kidney related diseases but other ailments like heart and brain failure can be reduced significantly if early diagnosis of blood pressure and blood sugar is done, Mani said at a three-day conference of the East zone Indian Society of Nephrology (ISN) that ended in Orissa on Sunday.
The ISN had given this suggestion to the Union government several times. We have suggested it several times but the government has not taken note of it, president of ISN and former Professor and Head of the department of AIIMS, Suresh Chandra Dash said.
With increase in the number of patients with diabetes and high blood, kidney related ailments were also rising. About 40 per cent of diabetes and at least 10 per cent of high BP patients were suffering from the kidney disease, Dash said.
Every year about 1.5 lakh kidney patients were being added in the country and their number would increase further if preventive measures were not taken. Adequate control of diabetes and aggressive control of blood pressure are the mainstay of treatment, another prominent nephrologist S K Panda said.
Attributing acute kidney failure to malaria, gastroenteritis, poisoning and some intrinsic diseases of the kidney, Panda said high blood pressure, over weight and diabetes were responsible for chronic kidney diseases. “It can be cured if treated early and promptly.”
Stressing the need for spread of nephrology education in the country as the number of nephrologists are very limited compared to patients, Mani said the government should appoint at least one nephrologist in each district.
Suggesting creation of infrastructure facilities for dialysis and kidney transplantation at low cost, Mani said poor and middle-class people cannot afford the cost of treatment of kidney disease as it is very costly.
The government should come to the rescue of the patients as the average cost of kidney transplantation was between Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh with Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000 worth of medicines required every month, he said.
