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70 lakh people suffer from asthma |
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News |
March
13, 2000 Only
10 percent of asthma patients in the country get proper treatment. Asthma
Association and the Chest and Heart Association of Bangladesh revealed
this in a countrywide study recently. Asthma
is now considered a major health problem with an estimated 70 lakh people
or 5.2 percent of the population suffering form the chronic ailment. But
the government has done very little to offer treatment facilities, sources
concerned pointed out. The
Institute of Chest Diseases and Hospital in the Country that has
facilities for proper treatment of the disease. Besides,
limited facilities are available at the initiative of the Asthma
Association. Source
in some district hospitals told this correspondent that they never got any
supply of drugs required for treatment of asthma. Patients
who do not seek treatment mainly because costly medicines are needed and
for lack of facilities gradually develop painful acute stage of the
disease. “Link
many other diseased, asthma is no less alarming. Ten years ago, we did not
have so many asthma patients. But over the last couple of years, the
number of patients coming to this hospital has sharply increased, indicating
its rise throughout the country,” said Dr Md Ali Hosain, an
expert at the Institute of Chest Diseases and Hospital. He
said, “A large number of people ‘acquire’ this dreadful disease but
do not get opportunity for treatment. Environmental change is a major
factor behind the rise in number of patients, besides other reasons.” The
medicines for its treatment are very expensive. Each inhaler costs Tk 200
to 500. Painful
breathing and continuous coughing, sometimes-in severe forms characterize Asthma. It is not yet known what actually cause the disease but certain
factors that lead to it have been identified as
‘allergens’ “The
allergens or foreign particles are believed to trigger onset of asthma”
a doctor said. Source:
The Daily Star. |