Last year, Buddha Ram Chaudhary from Dhangadhi Sub-metropolitan City was diagnosed with high blood pressure. The 40-year-old daily wage labourer suffered renal failure within a year, and needs dialysis twice a week.

“My children are too small to donate a kidney to me and the blood group of my wife does not match,” said Chaudhary. “Regular dialysis is also not possible for me, as I am the sole breadwinner of my family. It is not easy for me to find a kidney donor.”

Chaudhary is among hundreds of patients who have been suffering from renal failure but are unable to find a donor to undergo renal transplantation. As per the legal provision, any of the immediate relatives—husband, wife, son, daughter, father, mother, stepson and stepdaughter, among others—can donate a kidney.

Experts, however, say despite the legal provisions, people like Chaudhary could not undergo renal transplantation easily. They say that if the authorities concerned take initiation to allow kidney patients to use organs of brain-dead donors, a lot of patients having renal failure can live normal life after transplantation.

“The government has done a lot to support the patients of renal failure,” said Dr Rishi Kumar Kafle, a consultant nephrologist. “A lot of renal patients who cannot find donors could also undergo renal transplantation, as the number of brain-dead cases has increased in our country, due to the rise in road traffic accidents of late. For that, concerned agencies should take initiatives..”

The government provides both dialysis and transplantation services free of cost. Over 4,500 people are currently receiving free dialysis services from over 100 dialysis centres operating throughout the country. The health ministry also provides financial support to those undergoing kidney transplantation. About 1,500 people have undergone kidney transplants since the service started about a decade ago. The government spends Rs2.11 billion on the treatment of kidney patients every year.

Doctors say providing free dialysis service is not a sustainable solution. They say that authorities concerned should encourage renal failure patients to opt for transplants and take measures to save kidneys.

“A majority of us do not undergo testing unless it is an emergency and do not know if

we are suffering from serious ailments,” said Kafley. “Some people are undergoing testing after their close relatives suffer from renal problems. Time has come to make people aware of kidney problems, which have become an emerging problem of late in our country.”

As per the World Health Organization’s estimation, 10 percent of the total population (around 300,000 in Nepal) suffer from renal problems, 30,000 are in the final stage of kidney failure and among them 3,000 people suffer from kidney failure every year in Nepal.

Doctors say the rise in diabetes, high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyle and eating habits has increased the risk of renal failure. They say that the kidney starts becoming weak after 30 years so people above the age of 30 should undergo a renal functioning test at least once a year.