The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Speakers at the 3rd national convention of Kidney Foundation on Thursday called for creating proper infrastructure to start deceased organ transplantation in giving new life to the millions of kidney failure patients in the country.

They said the number of patients of heart, liver, lung and kidney have been increasing rapidly. The number of kidney patients reached about 20 million from eight million during the last one decade. Of them, 20 thousands die of end stage renal failure each year.

Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest Health and Family Welfare Adviser Major General (Retd) Dr ASM Matiur Rahman called upon the specialized institutes to come forward to face the challenges and open a new era in the development of medical science in the country.

He emphasized the need for highest level of wisdom, knowledge, sincerity and integrity of the physicians to serve the humanity.

"We have to give a lot of focus on providing all facilities of modern medical science for the patients by using wisdom, knowledge, sincerity and integrity considering it as the highest level of prayer rather than discharging simple obligations", he added.

Health and Family Welfare Secretary AKM Zafar Ullah Khan, National Professor MR Khan, Director of SIUT in Pakistan Professor Adibul Hasan Rizvi, President of Kidney Foundation of Bangladesh Professor Harun-Ur Rashid, Secretary of the Foundation Professor Muhibur Rahman, Vice-president Professor MA Wahab and Director Tania Fedous Rashid, among others, spoke on the occasion.

Three kidney patients expressed their experiences in undergoing treatment at different hospitals at the inaugural session of the convention on "Live and Deceased Organ Transplantation in Bangladesh: Present and Future Perspective" at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre here. Dr Matiur Rahman said many patients die of unavailability of organs including kidney, liver and lung.

He underscored the need for developing infrastructure of collecting the organs from the dead persons, particularly the victims of road accident and creating mass awareness among the people of donating organs.

He also assured of extending all-out cooperation from the government in expanding kidney transplantation facility in the country and asked the specialized health institutes in public sector to take measures towards organ procuring, preserving and transplantation.

Professor Dr Harun-Ur Rashid said the key-reasons for kidney- failure are nephritis, diabetes and high blood pressure.

"Some 40 percent of the 20 million patients have been suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD) originated from nephritis, 24 percent from diabetes and 15 percent are from high- blood pressure, he said adding that the number of kidney patients have been increasing alarmingly.

He said only 10 percent of the 20 million kidney patients in the country have access to get proper treatment as it is costly.

He suggested transplantation of kidney rather than providing dialysis in kidney treatment, as the transplantation is cheaper, more curable and it ensures better life than taking dialysis in long term.

He said only live related transplantation of kidney is being performed in the country as lack of proper infrastructure, ICU facility and efficient organ procurement teams were the main reasons for failure in introducing deceased transplantation.

Professor Muhibur Rahman gave a brief description on Kidney Foundation Hospital, a non-profitable organization, established in 2003.

"The hospital has conducted 47 kidney transplantation surgeries successfully, 12,000 dialysis and 25,000 lab test during the last one year, a record of success for single organisation," he added.