Early diagnosis can ward off kidney disease
The Times of India 14 Mar 2009, 2330 hrs IST, TNN
On the occasion of World Kidney Day at Manipal Hospital on Thursday, experts spoke on the need for prevention ahead of cure, and underscored the importance of quick diagnosis.
Medical education minister Ramachandra Gowda called for the necessity to maintain a kidney donation registry, like that of eye donation, and to make Organ Transplantation Act less stringent. “Specialized treatment is still a distant dream for the poor, who are deprived of transplantation facility and dialysis due to lack of affordability. We are still busy controlling maternal and infant mortality, so private hospitals have the dual responsibility of giving speciality treatment to needy patients,” health commissioner P N Sreenivasachary said.
The state government has initiated dialysis facility in eight districts, and 35 institutes in the state are authorized to conduct human organ transplantation.
MD and CEO of Manipal Health System R Basil called for the need to control non-communicable diseases like CKD, diabetes and hypertension that are increasing in developing countries, with 80% of the health budget being spent on treatment alone.
Chairman of Medical Advisory Board and director of Manipal Institute of Nephrology and Urology, Manipal Health System, Dr H Sudarshan Ballal said a recent study conducted by Manipal Hospital has shown that 10% of India’s population is affected by kidney disease. And 200 million die of it every year because they go untreated.
As diabetes and hypertension are common causes of kidney disease, the focus of World Kidney Day this time is controlling high blood pressure to avoid kidney disease.
