Kidney patients who undergo dialysis regularly spend an average of Tk 46,426 a month and 93 per cent of them face financial hardship, according to a survey by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).
BIDS presented a research paper on the cost of kidney dialysis in Bangladesh on the third day of the four-day annual BIDS conference-2024 at a hotel in the capital’s Gulshan on Monday.
A session was held on education and health with UCSI University Bangladesh branch campus vice-chancellor Professor AK Enamul Haque in the chair.
Three research papers were presented at the session on costs of kidney disease, community clinics and employment.
BIDS research fellow Abdur Razzak Sarker presented the research paper on kidney treatment costs. He said a survey was conducted on 477 patients at public, private and non-government organisation hospitals between 1 November and 31 December of 2023.
Citing a 2017 study, Abdur Razzak Sarker 800,000 kidney patients received dialysis at that time and 30,000 of them could afford it.
Citing the new study, he said kidney patients have to spend a minimum of Tk 6,690 to a maximum of Tk 210,000, while the average spending is Tk 46,426. Kidney dialysis fees cost the highest at 35 per cent, followed by medicine costs (23 per cent).
Altogether, hospital expenses are about 79 per cent. Other expenses include transport, food, accommodation and informal cost (bribes and tips) with transports accounting for about 9 per cent.
The survey also highlighted the types of hospitals providing kidney treatments. 42.56 per cent of patients go to NGO-run hospitals for dialysis; 33.45 per cent to public hospitals and 23.09 per cent go to private hospitals to undergo dialysis. Kidney patients spend an average of Tk 77,589 a month at private hospitals, Tk 32,552 at government hospitals and Tk 39,912 at NGO-run hospitals.
The BIDS study finds that nearly 92.87 per cent families face economic hardships for dialysis. Besides, 19.5 per cent patients perform dialysis less frequently than the required time. The rate of skipping more is among the patients from poor people, with 95 per cent of them mentioned exorbitant cost as the reason for opting the service less.
Several patients told the researchers that they try for kidney transplantation to avoid the pressure of huge treatment costs every month. Sometimes they fall into the traps of scamsters in the process.
One of the patients told the researchers that he had lost Tk 400,000 to the scamsters. At the same time, the future of his two children is getting bleak due to spending a huge sum for treatment costs every month.
While presenting the research article, BIDS research fellow Abdur Razzak Sarker said kidney dialysis service is basically a city-centred service, especially Dhaka-oriented. As a result, patients from the district level suffer a lot.
He proposed the service should be opened at the district level hospitals and the cost should be made affordable. There could be subsidies in the dialysis service at pirate hospitals.
Abdur Razzak Sarker also advised to bring the kidney dialysis patients under the social safety nets and insurance coverage.
The four-day conference of BIDS will end today, Tuesday, with presenting research articles on child marriage, land use, food supply, poverty and a few other issues.