Urine tests in Goa for early detection of kidney ailments

Medicos in Goa will undertake a gigantic exercise of collecting urine samples of more than 40,000 people from Canacona taluka to demystify various kidney diseases, which have risen at an alarming frequency in this southernmost corner of the state.

Except children below ten years of age, urine samples of everyone (nearly 44,000 people) in the taluka will be collected and tested from August 15 onwards, Dr Shekhar Salkar, President, Indian Medical Association of Goa Unit told PTI today.

"Once we detect suspected patients through urine diagnosis, their blood would be tested so that the treatment can begin at once," Salkar said.

A group comprising doctors, para-medics, anganwadi workers and volunteers has been formed for the project with the help of State Directorate of Health Services and Manipal Group of Hospitals.

The tests would be conducted to quantify protein, albumin and red blood cells (RBC) in the urine.

Canacona taluka has emerged as a trouble area with kidney ailments attaining alarming proportions over several decades.

Rough estimates point out that of the total patients admitted in state-run Goa Medical College (GMC), 80 per cent are from Canacona taluka.

"Almost one out of two persons from Canacona belong to Pagi or Velip community. These communities are high risk groups for this disease," Salkar said.

According to Prof FM Nadaf, a geographer about 70 per cent of the people from Canacona taluka on an estitmate are suffering from kidney ailments.

The government record indicates that there are 394 kidney patients in this taluka, of which 94 are regularly taking dialysis at the state government hospital.

An Urban Health Centre at Canacona has conducted 25,000 dialysis since 2003, when the machine was commissioned there.

"The problem here is acute. There are large number of people who realise that they are suffering from kidney ailments at much later stage," Vasudeo Pagi, a journalist from this taluka, said.

Pagi lost his father and aunt to this disease.

Repetitive studies by Goa government through private agencies have failed to pinpoint the reason behind the kidney cases.

"I personally feel that the cases may be basically because of chemical composition of water in this area," Nadaf said.

Dr Salkar said that till now many studies are conducted but no cause could be identified.

"Now we want to have early diagnosis so that there is early treatment," he said.