Delay in determining cause of kidney disease in SL

11 February 2012 12:30 am

There had been a delay in determining the exact cause of the kidney disease which is rampant in several areas in the country including the North Central province, the Acting Minister of Healthcare Lalith Dissanayake told Parliament yesterday.

Mr. Dissanayake who was responding a to a question raised by DNA Parliamentary Group Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the government is however expecting the results of the research conducted by an international body, ‘International Research Laboratories’ in the coming days.

He however said the research that had been carried out locally had concluded and that increased Fluoride content in water as well as the brackish conditions in the water may be the cause of the disease, though the researchers hadn’t been able to determine the cause accurately.

The Minister informed the House that 5,000 patients come for dialysis to government hospitals monthly, while there had been 13,811, kidney patents in the North Central Province alone.

He said the government had spent Rs.292 million for the treatment of these patients. The Minister therefore explained that some 82 dializers have been distributed to various hospitals in the country. Accordingly he said 10 machines have been sent to the Anuradhapura Base Hospital; further 10 machines to Mahiyangana, and 11 to the Galle Hospital. He said machines have been given to various other hospitals as well.

Mr. Dissanayake said the people have got confused over various conclusions that have been made on the cause of the disease. He said people in the North Central Province have shifted to using mineral water after it was concluded that the Arsenic and Floride content and the weed Alge in natural waterways are the main causes for the disease.

He said the people had also given up consuming fish as it was said the fish was the cause. Mr. Dissanayake said the exact cause of the disease should be determined as the situation is grim. (Yohan Perera)