Abstract:
Many data sources confirmed that more than 15 percent of the farmers in North
Central and Uva provinces in Sri Lanka are affected by the Chronic Kidney Disease
of uncertain aetiology (CKDu). However, dearth of empirical evidence regarding the
present state of the living condition of farmers who suffer from CKDu and how their
health care cost affects the living condition represents a significant gap which is a
limitation to formulate policies. Therefore, this study attempted to explore the
impact of health care cost of farmers who suffered from CKDu on their living
conditions. The study mainly employed survey method to gather data. Keselpotha
village in Redimaliyadda area located in Uva province in Sri Lanka, where a large
number of farmers who suffered from CKDu lived, was selected as a case. There
were 132 farmers who suffered from CKDu living in this village and data were
collected from all the patients conducting face-to-face interviews on a structural
questionnaire. The data were analysed using multiple regression method. Results
revealed that direct financial cost of treatments had a negative significant impact on
the farmers’ living conditions which was measured using the index develop by Gaur
(2013) (β = - 0.499 and t-value = 5.99). Costs for traveling to participate in the clinic
in government/private hospitals and expenses on laboratory testing and medicines
were the main cost items that they bore. Further, the study assessed the indirect
cost for treatments considering the manpower cost. The regression results showed
that the indirect cost for treatments had a negative significant impact on the living
conditions of farmers who suffered from CKDu (β = - 0.338 and t-value = 3.92). The
direct cost reduced treatment ability of farmers who suffered from CKDu showing
significant negative effect (β = - 0.122 and t-value = 1.72) and indirect cost also had
a powerful impact on reducing the treatment ability of farmers who suffered from
CKDu (β = - 0.299 and t-value = 3.52). Finally, the results confirmed that the health
care costs negatively correlated with the living conditions thereby decreasing the
treatment ability of farmers who suffered from CKDu (β = 0.746 and t-value = 17.14).
Thus, the study has provided sufficient empirical evidences to conclude that the
health care costs of farmers who suffered from CKDu had a significant impact on the
treatment ability thereby diminishing the living conditions. Implementing
supportive measures (health care insurance, subsidy etc.) would help to improve
treatment ability thereby improving the living conditions of farmers who suffer
from CKDu.
