November 27, 2006	Monday	Ziqa'ad 5, 1427

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LAHORE, Nov 26: Pakistan Association of Urological Surgeons President Prof Dr Sajjad Husain says scarcity of clean drinking water and adulterated food products are increasing the incidence of kidney diseases in the country.

Speaking at a seminar on kidney diseases here on Sunday, he said use of prohibited sex medicines, blood pressure, diabetes and treatment by quacks were also contributing to an increase in kidney diseases. He said urologists and nephrologists should develop coordination to control diseases at primary stages.

He said primary healthcare units were required to be strengthened to control risk factors of renal diseases and promote healthy lifestyle among patients. Secondary care facilities should check the treatment of risk factors and conduct surgical treatment, if indicated, and finally refer the complicated cases to tertiary care centres for specialised care and renal transplant.

Referring to availability of specialised kidney diseases treatment facilities, he said at least 37 specialist beds and over 50 hemodialysis stations were required for every million population according to international yardstick. Pakistan had only 200 urologists, 92 nephrologists and 147 dialysis centres with 732 machines for its 16 million population and there was not even a single renal diseases institute in Punjab.

He proposed establishment of a kidney foundation on the World Kidney Day falling on March 9 for launching a war against the menace.

Awareness should be created for preventing the incidence of diseases by organising walks, seminars and a campaign should also be launched for collection of funds for the treatment of poor kidney patients. —Reporter