In an effort to battle the rapid increase in the incidence of renal disease in the Wayamba, Uva and North Central provinces, the government plans to establish a state-of-the-art Renal Treatment Clinic at Nikawewa Peripheral Hospital in the Wayamba Province.

Last week, Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva had laid the foundation for the building which would be built at a cost of Rs. 4.5 million, a ministry spokesman said.

The WHO would send an expert team in March to conduct a detailed research on the renal disease threatening Wayamba, Uva and North Central Province, the minister said.

"We are yet to identify a factor or factors that are directly linked with the growing number of cases. Although contaminated water, use of aluminium pots for cooking, use of chemicals and pesticides, alcohol and smoking, we are yet identify the real causative factors. We want to seek the assistance of foreign experts to conduct water and soil analysis to ascertain the root cause," he said.

As the country lacked resources to carry out a comprehensive research, the support extended by the WHO would be important, he said adding that treatment was only a temporarily solution.

The new ward complex and the clinic at the Nikawewa Peripheral Hospital will be built at a cost of Rs. 4.5 million.

He said that hospital had the necessary medicinal drugs to treat the patients. However, its facilities needed to be upgraded and additional dialysis machines moved there, he said.