Professor Dr Harun-Ur-Rashid, Chairman of the Department of Nephrology of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and President of Kidney Foundation said as kidney disease may take epidemic form by 2025 most of the people are not aware of the diabetic, hypertension and protinuri (kidney related) diseases.

Regular walking, reduction of weight, avoiding extra salt and maintaining anxiety-free life can help check kidney disease, he said. Every person after reaching the age of 40 should check his or her kidney at least once a year, he added.

Referring to a recent pilot survey conducted by the Kidney Foundation at village Kachulia in Savar and in Mirpur slum area in the capital on 50,000 people, Prof Harun said 69 percent of them are not aware that they are suffering from hypertension and diabetes.

Out of the remaining 31 percent only 6 percent have been undergoing treatment, he added.

Prof. Harun said kidney is a vital organ that help purify blood and discharge the waste with urine. Different diseases may directly attack kidney or some other diseases like hypertension and diabetes are also responsible for kidney disease, he added.

Since the treatment of kidney disease is costly, many patients die every year. Dialysis and kidney transplantation are the only way of treating this fatal disease.

The government has taken several steps, including establishment of National Kidney Institute, a separate kidney hospital, to increase dialysis facilities to check the disease. Private sector hospitals are also providing treatment to kidney patients.

A kidney patient needs about Tk 2.5 to 3 lakh a year for dialysis. On the other hand, about Tk 2.5 lakh is required for kidney transplantation and for meeting immediate medical expenses, he said and added this costly treatment is out a reach of the 95 percent of the patients.

He said 15 to 20 thousand new patients suffer from 'End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD)' annually with both their kidneys damaged while number of acute kidney failure patients are 10 to 15 thousand.

Prof. Harun said financial constraints, lack of specialised kidney hospitals and dearth of kidney providers are the three main obstacles to kidney transplantation.

Kidney transplantation is done at BSMMU and at Birdem Hospital and they have capacity to transplant 20 to 30 kidneys annually.