Nephrologists have warned about the increasing number of kidney disease cases in the Yavatmal district, Maharshtra and are urging to conduct tests on patients to find out the causes behind it.

Nephrologists have raised concern over the rise in kidney-related ailments ailments among people in some villages of the district. They have decided to conduct tests on people in these villages to find out the causes behind it. A day-long seminar, chaired by Yavatmal Government Medical College (GMC) dean Dr Manish Shrigirwar, was held in Nagpur on 1^st April to draw the attention of experts from the region on the rise in kidney diseases in the district. The dean urged the doctors to co-operate with the GMC to tackle the situation.

During the seminar, the experts held a discussion on some recent deaths due to kidney ailments in Asola village. They decided to conduct tests on people in Asola and the adjoining villages to ascertain the cause of the rise in kidney diseases in the area, and to also find out if consumption of contaminated water had a role in it. "We have decided to hold another seminar for experts in the field on April 29 in Yavatmal and thereafter, a research programme would be finalised," Shrigirwar said.

Meanwhile, the district administration has also sought an approval of the Maharashtra government to procure 10 dialysis machines for the GMC. The proposal for buying the dialysis machines has been sent to the director of health services, Shrigirwar said yesterday. The machines would be installed in the GMC to treat the poor and needy patients coming from remote villages across the district, he added.