Kidney patients in despair as BPKIHS decides to provide dialysis service just once a week

DHARAN, Oct 13: Man Bahadur Bajgain, who has been undergoing dialysis twice a week for the past eight years, reached BP Koirala Institute of Health Science for dialysis on Monday but failed to get the service. The dialysis unit of the hospital refused to provide the dialysis service more than once a week.

On Monday, along with Bajgain, six other kidney patients were refused the service at BPKIHS. When the patients sought the reasons behind the denial of dialysis service more than once a week, the hospital couldn’t give a reasonable answer.

Bajgain himself is the president for the Society of Kidney Patients. According to him, the hospital has decided to provide the dialysis service to kidney patients once a week from now onward. “Undergoing dialysis just once a week is no less than attempting suicide for kidney patients,” he added.

There are currently 16 kidney patients seeking dialysis twice a week at BPKIHS. Earlier, the institute provided dialysis service to eight patients at one shift which has been decreased to four from Monday.

BPKIHS has cited the lack of manpower at the hospital due to COVID-19 pandemic as a reason behind the decision. According to Dr Pramod Baral, assistant director at the Dialysis Unit of the hospital, the skilled nurses deployed for dialysis in the unit have tested positive for the virus due to which the hospital has not been able to provide dialysis service twice a week. “Of the 19 nurses in the unit, six have been diagnosed with COVID-19,” he added.

However, the hospital has committed to provide the service anytime in case of emergency.