'Chronic renal failure affects over 7,500 per mln Indians'

Lucknow, Jan 16 (UNI) Chronic renal failure -- which means kidney damage of three or more months, -- is becoming a major public health challenge in the country, with almost 7,572 per million Indians suffering from the disease.

Of these, about 787 per million suffer with an end-stage renal failure, where kidney function is reduced below a critical level.

In end-stage cases, a patient requires dialysis or kidney transplantation, former King George's Medical University (KGMU) Vice Chancellor Dr K M Singh said here yesterday.

Diabetes, high blood pressure, over-use and abuse of painkillers, severe vomiting, diarrhea and loss of blood are major causes of renal failure.

However, the only option left with such patients is dialysis, since most of them cannot undergo transplantation.

Dr Singh lamented that even dialysis facilities are scarcely available in the country, especially in Uttar Pradesh.

He was speaking on the occasion of commencement of the Department of Nephrology at K K Hospital here. The department was inaugurated by country's renowned nephrologist Prof M K Mitra.

Prof R K Sharma, HoD, Nephrology, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) was the chief guest on the occasion.

Dr Singh informed that latest state-of-art dialysis machines and facilities for patients needing haemodyalysis, peritionial dialysis and kidney imaging have been installed in the hospital.

UNI