Number of kidney patients surge in Bahawalpur

Health experts hold the concentration of arsenic in underground water responsible for surge in number of patients

BAHAWALPUR: Like other parts of South Punjab, the number of the patient suffering from kidney diseases is on the rise in Bahawalpur.

Disclosing the data of a report, the sources privy to Bahawal Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur’s Kidney Centre said that more than 100,000 patients suffering from kidney diseases have been admitted to the hospital from January 2018 to October 2018 while in 2017, 97,000 patients were admitted. A kidney centre was established with the cost of millions of rupees but it still lacked facilities for treatment and kidney transplant. The health experts hold the concentration of arsenic and other minerals in underground water responsible for the surge in the number of patients. Besides this, substandard bottled water is also being sold in markets.

Victoria Hospital’s urology department head Dr Shafqat Ali Tabbasum said a large number of patients from South Punjab’s different districts. He said patients also come from Sindh and Balochistan to Bahawalpur’s Kidney Centre for treatment. “The unhygienic and contaminated drinking water is the major cause of kidney diseases,” he said.

In Bahawalpur and its adjoining areas, the underground water level has dropped to more than 100 feet due to which concentration of arsenic in water has increased. Health experts said if the steps were not taken to purify water, the number of patients would keep increasing. The number of patients from Bahawalpur suffering from kidney diseases is the highest followed by Multan.

Danish Sharif, a resident of Aziz Colony, said the pipelines, installed years ago, to supply clean water drinking water to the residents were never made functional. He said the local people either have to consume groundwater or bring water from filter plants located far from their homes.