The number of patients suffering from kidney, cancer and heart diseases is constantly increasing in the country; the patients and their relatives are worried about meeting the medical expenses.

About 2 crore people are suffering from kidney disease in the country. Every year one and a half million people are affected by cancer and 40 thousand people die of heart disease.

Patients are reluctant to bear the cost of kidney, cancer, heart disease treatment. Medical expenses have increased due to increase in drug prices. Various types of cancer are increasing. But due to the lack of accurate statistics of victims in the country, no initiative is working.

Medical centers, cancer treatments are in shortage of specialist doctors. To overcome the crisis, the work of setting up cancer treatment centers in eight departmental medical college hospitals of the country has started.

According to the data of the National Cancer Research Institute, patients with lung, breast, cervix, oral cavity cancer are more common. Apart from this, people are affected by oesophagus, stomach, liver, mouth, anus, ovary, colon, cervical, leukemia or blood cancer.

Taiful Islam, 35, is working as an office assistant in a private company. His wife's two kidneys failed for two years.

He said, “Dialysis for two days a week in the government hospital costs 1120 taka. This costs 6720 taka per month. Along with this, more than 20,000 taka per month is spent on medicine, doctor, and travel. I am in debt without being able to run on a low salary. This cost is more than double in private hospitals. I don't know how long I can run.

Sirajul Islam a farmer form Rangpur. His wife is suffering from cancer. This farmer has already sold the land and livestock. Sirajul is now in debt to pay for his wife's three years of chemotherapy and drugs for her cancer treatment. This couple cannot afford to rent a house to stay in Dhaka.

He said, “If I can borrow money from someone, my wife gets chemo. If I can't borrow, I can't give chemo on a specific date. the treatment of this disease has cost 9 lakh taka so far.”

A recent study titled 'Disease-Specific Distress Healthcare Financing and Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Expenditure for Hospitalization in Bangladesh' found that 26 per cent of households in the country incurred catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) for hospitalization in the past few years. Cancer (50 per cent) accounts for the largest share of such expenditure, followed by liver disease (49.2 per cent) and stroke (43.6 per cent).

Dr Habibullah Talukder Ruskin, Former professor of National Cancer Research Institute and Hospital told Bangladesh Pratidin, “In government hospitals of the country, the cost of treatment for cancer patients is around Tk 2-3 lakh, depending on the type of operation, radiation, and chemotherapy.”

“Along with this, there are additional expenses including travel, medicines. This cost is around 10-12 lakhs in private medium quality hospitals. Only 5 per cent of cancer patients can get treatment in government hospitals. The remaining 95 per cent of patients who can afford it go to private hospitals. The condition of treatment of lower class, middle class people in the country is poor.”

“Health insurance is essential to meet the medical expenses of the country. But it has not made much progress. It is not possible for the government alone to serve so many patients. Therefore, initiatives should be taken to reduce costs in private clinics. If necessary, they should be forced to reduce costs through incentives, benefits or laws. Rich people of the country should be encouraged to do charitable hospitals,” he added.

Another deadly like cancer is kidney disease. The patient and relatives bear the cost of treatment of this disease. After kidney failure, patients have to sell 12-22 per cent of their assets to survive on dialysis.

Less than one per cent of the country's kidney patients have kidney transplant facilities. However, if the kidney disease is diagnosed in the early stages, it can be cured with treatment. But Bangladesh does not have enough nephrologists. Due to the high cost of treatment, many are stopping the treatment midway.

There is lack of awareness, inadequacy of doctors and treatment and lack of awareness in collecting kidneys from dead people. Recently, Sarah Islam donated her two kidneys and corneas to four people. Doctors believe that if his organ donation inspires others, it is possible to save many more lives and restore sight.

Dr. Sheikh Moinul Khokon, Kidney Foundation Hospital told Bangladesh Pratidin, "Dialysis and transplant of kidney patients should continue without interruption. For kidney dialysis, another person has to come to bring the patient. The patient himself is not able to work, and another working person in the family has to be busy for him.”

“We have many patients initially treated with cabins but at some point they cannot afford the cost and ask for a free bed. Even if we subsidize the patient, we give him dialysis if he cannot. But it is not possible to call it the image of the whole country,” he said.

One-third of people in the world die from heart disease. Until recently, the prevalence of heart disease was higher among the elderly in the country, but in the past few years, the incidence of heart disease has also increased among the young. Currently 53 per cent of deaths in the country are due to non-communicable diseases. At the top of these is heart disease. High blood pressure and high summer heat increase the risk of heart disease.

Dr S M Mustafa Zaman, Professor, Department of Cardiology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) told Bangladesh Pratidin, “ Heart disease is increasing at an alarming rate in the country. We have seen in research that people of all ages are affected by heart disease. A few days ago we performed bypass surgery on a patient who was 11 years old. The condition of the heart was such that there was no place to wear the ring. Heart attacks are on the rise among young adults.”

“Diabetes, smoking, fatty foods, consumption of fast food, reduced physical activity, obesity increase the risk of heart disease. Apart from this, if there is a history of family diseases, many are affected due to hereditary reasons. By increasing awareness, people can now consult a doctor if they feel physical problems. It has increased patient identification. If you are aware, the risk of heart disease can be reduced a lot,” he added.

Doctors said that the initial symptoms of heart disease include pain on one side or around the chest, heaviness in the chest, pain in other parts of the body such as left hand, back, jaw. The pain may be accompanied by symptoms such as sweating, shortness of breath, nausea, chest palpitations or unexplained restlessness, lightheadedness, etc. If you have such symptoms, you must consult a doctor.

@The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on March 22 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan.