Yesterday, in my ward (Medicine department),I’ve come across a patient who was diagnosed as having COL (Cirrhosis of Liver).For non-medicoes,I can say its an invariably fatal disease of the Liver.He was already in the advanced stage of the disease.He was extremely distressed,and was worrying abt the future of his only daughter. He has a very significant history of Alcohol consumption(for nearly 10 yrs) and that too he regularly consumed toddy. While my professor Dr Bhavani Prasad (who is one of the dedicating professors in our hospital and is an inspiration to us)was examining this patient,he was crying and crying and it moved my Professor. He said “See old man,everyone on this earth has to die one day….we have neither brought anything nor going to take anything from here.Its Great that u r not dying a horrible death.”
COL is an invariably fatal disease for which Alcohol consumption is an important cause(although there are many other causes). It has a down-hill course and one day he eventually has to die. Even Cancers(like Leukemia) and TBs have treatment but not for COL.Although stabilizing the patient immediately after developing complications like Bleeding(usually from Oesophageal varices) and routine Octreotide treatment do exist,they are only for transient relief and one day he has to die for sure.Once a patient is diagnosed as having COL,his average survival period would not be more than 2 or 3 yrs. And Liver transplantation is almost impossible in a country like India where patients cannot afford for such an expensive therapy. Even if they could afford for Liver transplantation surgery(I guess its around Rs 5,00,000),the monthly expenditure of Rs 10,000 thereafter(immunosuppressive therapy to prevent Graft rejection) makes them a Living-corpse.
In Andhra Pradesh, the State Government doesn’t levy any tax(if perhaps levies,its very low) for the Hot Beverages. Indirectly,it is contributing for the deaths of many Pullanas or Nallannas….as the patients’ names go. There are some countries which levy huge taxes on Cigarettes and Hot Beverages. And in such countries lot of improvement has been seen in the mortality rates from Lung cancers and Alcohol-related diseases.Why couldn’t we have such a Government in our country?And for every government,taxes levied on Liquor and Cigarettes are the major source of income. Why don’t our people do this? Hi Friends,pls post ur views and comments abt this………