5,000 end-stage renal patients per annum

• 20k end-stage kidney disease patients estimated 
• Experts urge yearly testing for those with diabetes, HBP 

At least 5,000 patients in the final stages of kidney disease are annually reported in the country, Additional Secretary to the Health Ministry, Deputy Director General of Public Health Services and Consultant Community Physician, Dr. Champika Wickramasinghe, said. 

Speaking to the media at the briefing to commemorate the World Kidney Day, Dr. Wickramasinghe said that approximately 5,000 patients in the final stage of renal disease are reported each year. Speaking at the Health Promotion Bureau yesterday (25), she said that according to estimates, at any given time, there are around 20,000 patients in the country suffering from end-stage kidney disease.

Dr. Wickramasinghe noted that the burden of these patients is not limited to the health sector alone. It also affects their families, both mentally and financially. However, while treatment at this stage is difficult, the resources that are available to treat this disease are also limited. For instance, the State health service can only give haemodialysis treatment for about 5,000 patients each year. In addition, around 300 patients are able to undergo kidney transplants, she said. 

“What is important is not merely increasing these treatments, but preventing the disease from occurring in the first place. The Ministry, in this regard, issued a circular which has underlined that every patient with diabetes or high blood pressure (HBP) should undergo yearly kidney health checks.

Nephrologist at the Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Ragama, Dr. Nalaka Herath meanwhile warned that chronic kidney disease (CKD) does not show symptoms. “About 90 per cent of patients do not show symptoms”. Hence, he noted that the only way to diagnose the disease is by testing. He said however that those who are at high risk of suffering from CKD such as those with diabetes and HBP, should have themselves tested. Also, those who suffer from kidney stones, kidney inflammation and frequent kidney infections should undergo testing for kidney disease, he added.  

Source - The Morning