FAISALABAD: Kidney failure patients are increasing in Faisalabad where two state-run hospitals -- Allied and DHQ -- lack machinery and resources to treat patients coming with terminal stage renal failure.

Influx of patients is also creating a plethora of problems for the doctors who are finding it difficult to maintain the quality of dialysis.

Punjab Medical College, Allied and DHQ Hospitals have no professor, associate professor, assistant professor and senior registrar of nephrology as the seats have been lying vacant for a couple of years.

State hospitals lack resources to handle patients’ rush

Dr Tufail Muhammad, who retired a about six years ago as associate professor of nephrology, is rendering his services at the hospitals voluntarily.

Talking to Dawn, Dr Mohammad said the number of kidney patients had been surging in the district. He said doctors were finding it difficult to cope with the situation as the health facilities lacked required resources.

He said a dialysis required about four hours. However, on most of the occasions they had to complete it within two hours. He said the influx of patients was forcing them to compromise the quality of dialysis.

“We want to save the life of each and every patient coming for dialysis, however, the district requires more staff, space and resources. Last time a dialysis machine was installed in Allied Hospital about eight years ago.”

He said Allied Hospital was conducting about 550 dialysis weekly with the help of 20 machines as a majority of patients visited the facility twice a week. The DHQ hospital has four machines only.

Dr Mohammad urged the government to launch a campaign to lessen the number of kidney patients otherwise it would be a catastrophe.

Pakistan Medical Association district secretary Dr Mohammad Irfan said diabetes and hypertension were the major causes of kidney related diseases. He urged the government to fill the vacancies of nephrologists.

Punjab Medical College Principal Prof Muhammad Ali Tirmazi said preventive measures and awareness could help combat kidney diseases and public awareness was mandatory.

DHQ Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Abdul Rauf said specialist doctors were available for treatment. He said free dialysis facility was being extended to the patients.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2015

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