Reduce treatment cost, equipment import tax

Doctors at a meeting yesterday stressed the need for reducing the prices of medicines and taxes to import the machinery related to the critical diseases.

Kidney Awareness Monitoring and Prevention Society (KAMPS), a voluntary organisation of physicians, arranged the discussion on "Kidney disease and children: Act early to prevent it" at the capital's Jatiya Press Club ahead of World Kidney Day 2016, which will be observed on March 10.

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Speakers also urged the government to take steps to reduce the price of per dialysis for the kidney patients at Tk 1,500 from Tk 3,000-Tk 5,500 depending on the hospitals. 

Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, chairman of Gonoswasthya Kendra, said abnormal rise of medicine price and numerous irregularities in the health sector are happening. "People get free dialysis in many countries like Taiwan, Iran, and Cuba etc. Though it is not possible to provide free dialysis in Bangladesh, but the cost can be brought down," he added.

Chairman of Kidney Foundation Prof Harun ur Rashid said if people can conduct screening and tests of diseases like kidney, diabetes and heart at the primary healthcare centres in the rural areas then it is possible to prevent all of these critical diseases.

Chairman of KAMPS Prof MA Samad and head of kidney department in Lab Aid Specialised Hospital presented a keynote paper at the meeting.

"The main objective of the World Kidney Day is to make people aware of kidney diseases. Early detection can help a patient live longer…The prevalence of kidney disease is very high worldwide, in Bangladesh about 2 crore people are suffering from different sorts of kidney diseases," he said.

"The treatment cost is so high that at least 10 percent of patients cannot afford it and as a result, most of the kidney patients die without treatment," he said. Only awareness can prevent nearly 50 to 60 percent of kidney failure, he added. While speaking about the need for a disciplined lifestyle, he said at least 68 percent of death risk can be reduced by walking for at least 30 minutes every day, eating sufficient fruits and vegetables, controlling weight and shunnig smoking.