70 per cent kidney donors are women, reveals PGI study

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 8

Women top the chart of kidney donors, but when it comes to men, they cut a sorry figure.

A study conducted by the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) revealed that of the total kidney donors in the country, 70 per cent are women.

The study states that only 15 per cent recipients are women. On World Kidney Day, experts shared a data collated by the PGIMER from 1991 to 2017.

The data was collated by Dr Ashish Sharma, professor and head of the Department of Renal Transplant Surgery. He said the prevalence of renal failure was same in both men and women. However, women donate organ due to financial dependence on their husbands, he added.

“The data is not region specific. The transplant cases have come to the PGI from across the country and all showed the similar trend. Women come to the rescue of men as they are earning members. All efforts are made to keep them fit. On the other only 15 per cent recipients are women, who received kidney of their husbands,” said Dr Sharma.

Prof KL Gupta, head, Department of Nephrology, said various initiatives were being taken to spread awareness about health, especially among women, as they were usually left out on account of various social, economic and lack of adequate access to healthcare services.

One should not forget

• The early chronic kidney disease has no signs or symptoms. 
• The Chronic kidney disease usually does not go away.
• The kidney disease can be treated. The earlier a person comes to know about it, the better is his chances of receiving effective treatment.
• Blood and urine tests are used to check the kidney disease.
• Kidney disease can progress to kidney failure.