As dialysis service at private hospitals is costlier, the government hospital is obviously the first choice for almost all kidney patients. [break]
As of now, 65 kidney patients have their names in the hospital´s waiting list. They need dialysis service twice a week until they undergo a successful renal transplant or risk death.
“Even the kidney patients who had applied for dialysis service one year ago are yet to get the service,” says Bijaya Laxmi Koirala, chief of Nephrology Unit at the hospital. “Some of them die before they get dialysis service.”
In order to ease the pressure of growing number of kidney patients, the regional hospital, which currently has five dialysis machines, has started to provide the service in two shifts. At present, as many as 37 patients are getting the service at the hospital.
Others have no option but to wait for their turn. Since only few patients get discharged after a renal transplant, just one or two beds get vacant in a month.
“As we can´t provide service to all, we have been requesting new patients to come next year,” said Medical Superintendent of the hospital Dr Buddhi Bahadur Thapa.
Dr Thapa said it is difficult for the hospital to cater to all the needy unless they install new dialysis machines. “We have informed the government about this,” he said.
According to Dr Thapa, there are only 140 dialysis machines in 25 hospitals and private clinics across the country, which are able to provide the service to only around 1,000 kidney patients.
The situation is no different even in Kathmandu. Dozens of people have long been queuing up for their turn to get dialysis service at Bir Hospital. Therefore, even well-off denizens of Pokhara can not go elsewhere to get dialysis service.
According to National Kidney Center, one in every 10 Nepali people suffers from kidney problem and around 27,000 patients need renal transplants.
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