CANCER PATIENTS IN ANURADHAPURA INCREASING - PROF. JAYASUMANA

Prof. Channa Jayasumana of the Rajarata Medical Faculty said the number of cancer patients in the Anuradhapura District was increasing every year in a large proportion and that it would exceed the number of patients suffering from renal ailments in four years.

Prof. Jayasumana told the media yesterday in Anuradhapura that a number of kidney patients in the Northern Province was fewer compared to the other areas and it was mainly due to restrictions on transporting agrochemicals and

fertilizer beyond Medawachchiya during the war. He pointed out that renal ailments and cancer would be the main non-communicable diseases creating a serious threat to public health in the North Central Province.

“Health authorities ignored our warning that the main health issue affecting the dry zone by 2008 was renal ailments. We pointed out that the number of patients increased in 100 percent in every two years. Our admonition has now turned a reality. For the first time a patient suffering from a chronic kidney ailment was identified in 1994 and perfect statistics of the death rate is not available. Recently we carried out urine tests on 5,000 school children in Anuradhapura District and 12 percent of them were susceptible to the chronic kidney ailment. It is a matter of serious concern that anyone who contracted this agricultural renal ailment had not recovered”, he further said.

Health authorities ignored our warning that the main health issue affecting the dry zone by 2008 was renal ailments