The pressing need for integrated nephrology services in Northeastern India

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health problem with an estimated prevalence ranging from 5% to 13% over South Asian region. CKD care and the need for provision of care for the management of end-stage renal disease are an increasingly growing need in India with rising rates of CKD, especially those attributable to uncertain etiologies in certain regions of India. There is a wide disparity between nephrology care services and availability between geographical regions of the kidney with the representation of nephrologists and nephrology care centers more in the Southern and Western regions than in the rest of the country. The Northeastern region of the country is poorly presented in terms of both availability as well as the accessibility of nephrology care services. Better integration and provision of care are the sole need of the hour.