‘Avoid steroids, follow healthy diet to prevent kidney diseases’

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 20

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, a team of renowned kidney transplant surgeons from the region talked about treatment and prevention of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

The surgeons warned against the use of different steroids as they provide relief from the diseases for a shorter duration, but they have wider health repercussions in the longer run. They were talking about the harmful effects of the disease and its treatment during the press conference.

Addressing the media persons, Dr Mukut Minz, a renowned kidney transplant surgeon, who was recently conferred with Padma Shri, said, “Kidney failure has become a common phenomenon both in the region and in the country. Changing lifestyle, poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyle coupled with lack of physical activities have led to a spike in kidney diseases. While there are patients from almost every age-group, we come across maximum patients who fall in the age-group of 30 to 50 years.”

Diabetes and high blood pressure are two diseases that can further lead to kidney failure. They also shared that ABO Incompatible Transplant, a new technique, which could be used for kidney transplant among different blood groups.

While the average treatment cost for kidney transplant at the PGIMER is between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh and at a private hospital, it stretched beyond Rs 6 lakh, said Dr Sunil Kumar, a kidney transplant surgeon.

On being asked steps taken to ensure that financially deprived patients get treatment at concessional rates, Dr Minz said, “We have our own limitations and it is something that the government has to decide.”

When asked as to what can be done to ensure that the maximum patient get benefit from kidney transplant as many people don’t show interest to donate their body organs in the country, Dr Minz, who is the director, Kidney transplant surgery, Fortis Hospital in Mohali, said, “There are countless superstitions and myths attached to organ donation in our culture. Spreading awareness about the disease and benefits of kidney transplantation among people is the only way out.”