In the lack of adequate equipment, many kidney patients are unable to undergo dialysis at the Nephrology department of the Bir Hospital — the only hospital that provides dialysis service in heavily subsidised price.
Dr Sudha Khakurel, Nephrology Unit chief of the hospital, said they have five operating dialysis machines that are able to conduct dialysis of ten people everyday, but the five machines alone cannot handle the huge pressure as the number of patients is so high that they have to send many patients who come to the hospital expecting cheaper treatment to private hospitals. She further said that shortage of number of beds is another problem in the unit. There are altogether 13 beds in the unit and that is short of the demand from patients, she said.
According to doctors, a patient has to undergo haemodialysis twice a week for survival and each time he/she undergoes dialysis, it costs at least Rs 2,000. But, the Bir Hospital provides the service for Rs 250 (excluding the charge of tape, gauge, cotton, beta dine and other medicinal materials).
“Today alone I have to send two patients to the private clinic for not being able to provide them the service on time,” she said, adding due to high expenses in the treatment process, merely 10 per cent of the total dialysis patients are able to continue the treatment for a long period. Others abandon the treatment process in the beginning or even after some months or a year of treatment, she said.
According to Khakurel, every year around 180 new patients with kidney failure come to the hospital. Increasing the number of dialysis machines and beds in the hospital means more patients can avail of the service without going to other places, he said.
“If the kidney transplantation service is available in Nepal, the load of dialysis would be reduced,” she added. The government should also start dialysis service in zonal and regional hospitals in subsidised price, she said.
Meanwhile, to mark the World Kidney Day, the hospital is conducting free kidney check-up for its 1300 staff from March 13 till March 26. Dr Khakurel said kidney problems do not have symptoms and any healthy-looking person is likely to have them; therefore, they have started check-up from the hospital itself. -
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