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Defunct dialysis centre at Kamala Nehru Hospital leaves patients in distress
Pune Municipal Corporation's dialysis unit at Kamala Nehru Hospital has been closed for two weeks, inconveniencing patients. The unit had 15 machines.
The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) first dialysis unit at Kamala Nehru Hospital (KNH) has been lying defunct for the past two weeks, leading to the inconvenience of several citizens and patients suffering from renal diseases. The unit earlier used to cater for the needs of around 200 to 250 patients on average monthly. However, after reports of several laxities on the part of the trust, while running the centre, the civic body terminated the contract with the trust.
The unit is the first dialysis centre started by PMC seven years back, and the facility was given to a private trust to run it for ten years.
The unit at KNH had a total of 15 machines, and all other seven dialysis centres run by PMC are located at a distant distance.
The nearest dialysis unit from KNH is Sonawane Hospital, Bhawani Peth, which has only four dialysis machines. However, due to the huge rush of patients at the dialysis unit at Sonawane Hospital, patients have to wait for a long time.
Vittal Bhosale (name changed), a regular patient visiting the dialysis unit at KNH now has to depend on the facility at Sonawane Hospital. “I have to wait for the dialysis process at Sonawane Hospital for four to five hours. Dialysis is required three times per week, and the full day is dedicated to dialysis. I sometimes have to wait for dialysis for more than five hours depending on the rush of patients,” he said.
Dr Abhijit More, health activist, said, such a process to allot tender and start the facility takes around two to three months.
“With the number of people suffering from renal disease on the rise, there is a need for more dialysis centres. The PMC has failed to ensure the continuation of service during the transition period. The inconvenience to the patients would have been avoided if the civic body had started looking for a new agency at least three months before the termination of the contract,” he said.
Dr Sanjeev Wavare, assistant health officer of PMC, said, the centre will be closed for more than one month
“We are looking for another private firm to run the facility, and the process will take more than a month to finalise the operator. Meanwhile, citizens and patients may go to the other seven dialysis units run by PMC and take the treatment. However, we are trying to make the dialysis unit at KNH operational at the earliest,” he clarified.
