LARKANA, Oct 7: A large number of kidney patients attending the nephrology-urology department of the Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH) are facing frustration as six of the 13 dialysis machines are out of order for more than a month.

While the old lithotripsy machine is out of order, a newly-imported machine, purchased at a cost of Rs 27 million, awaits installation.

The in-charge of dialysis section, who is a SIUT-- trained dialysis technician, has sent an application through the head of department of nephrology-urology to the medical superintendent (MS) of the CMCH, seeking repair of eight machines. These machines are slow and make errors during procedure.

At least five out of 13 dialysis machines are reserved for hepatitis negative patients and one out of these five is out of order for the last one month. Another two machines are reserved for hepatitis B and one for hepatitis C patients. Interestingly there is no machine for those patients who suffer from both these deadly diseases while no such machine is reserved for child patients who are generally referred to SIUT Karachi, involving extra costs for transportation on the attendants and their relatives.

Five other French-made dialysis machines are also lying idle since long which require only minor repairs and the hospital administration is now considering to dispose them of as ‘condemned material’.

According to sources, the water used through Reverse Osmosis (RO) system for dialysis contains huge amount of sodium (about 46 per cent) and is, therefore, not fit for dialysis purposes at all. This department is located near the Rice Canal whose surroundings are affected by severe water logging and salinity problems.

The hospital administration is fully aware of this fact but has not so far taken any concrete action to either shift the dialysis section to some other safe place or arrange separate water connection which should be free of sodium and fit for dialysis and lithotripsy purposes as the same water is also used for lithotripsy machine and their technicians have also been constantly complaining about unfit water.

A lithotripsy machine has been imported by the health department from Germany at the cost of Rs.27 million which has been delivered to the CMCH’s NUD section which is said to be a modern machine but it awaits installation for the last one month and training of doctors who will operate it.

The old machine is out of order for over a month and due to which patients are suffering.

This 67-bed department was inaugurated in 1998 by the then Sindh chief minister. More than 20 patients get dialysis facility at the section in morning and evening shift.

The sources told that uro flow meter, which assesses the flow of urine, is also out of order since long. The hospital continue to charge Rs1400, 610 and 500 for sub-cleaven, they said.—PPI