‘Right now, India can only afford prevention of kidney diseases’

 

 

“India is in an endemic of diabetes and hypertension. There are 80 million or 8 crore diabetes and 250 million hypertensives patients in India. These two factors contribute 80% of the causes of kidney disease. Viewing the crisis of dialysis facilities with continuous increase in number of patients every year, India can only afford prevention right now. Unfortunately, in a sharp contrast to the high burden and cost, there is less awareness about the condition among patients with the kidney diseases.

 

This represents a major road block in the efforts towards preventing progressive kidney failure with high rate of premature morbidity,” opined Dr Vikas Badera, Nephrologist, City Hospital and research Centre. Dr Badera along with Urologist, Dr Ankit Fuskele, was addressing a press conference called on Thursday marking the occasion of World Kidney Day, which is observed on the second Thursday of March every year.

 

The City Hospital is going to conduct a free health check-up camp for kidney patients on March 13 between 11 am and 2 pm. Dr Ankit Fuskele informed that along with hypertension and diabetes, kidney stone also plays a significant role to block smooth functioning of kidney and in lack of timely treatment, it causes kidney failure also. Both the doctors emphasised over public awareness to be created for kidney transplant, both living and deceased donor renal transplant, as India faces an acute shortage of organs.

 

Surprisingly, there were only 9000 transplants done last year against the requirement is 200000 renal transplants. The need of the hour is to spread awareness amongst masses regarding the importance of organ donation (both living and deceased donor). They suggested the diabetic and hypertensive patients need to regularly check and maintain their blood sugars and blood pressure, and maintain healthy habits and avoid smoking and do regular exercise to prevent kidney damage.