Centre to states: Earmark one hemodialysis facility in every districts

Union health ministry has asked states and union territories to identify and earmark at least one hemodialysis facility in every district as a preparatory fixed-point dialysis unit in case of rise of COVID-19 pandemic.

Union health ministry has asked states and union territories to identify and earmark at least one hemodialysis facility with adequate number of machines, trained staff and other support equipment in every district as a preparatory fixed-point dialysis unit in case of rise of COVID-19 pandemic.

The health ministry asked the health departments to also issue directives to district administrations allowing easy movements of patients, accompanied by one attendant, to a dialysis facility (Representative image)

In its recently issued ‘guidelines for dialysis of Covid-19 patients’, the health ministry asked the health departments to also issue directives to district administrations allowing easy movements of such patients, accompanied by one attendant, to a dialysis facility, said officials.

The guidelines issued on April 1 said the government-run transport system should be arranged for those who do not have private vehicles. The ministry has also said that patients should use their hospital papers as pass to commute to the dialysis unit, said Prof Arvind Gupta, head, nephrology department, MLN Medical College, Prayagraj.

“Chronic kidney disease stage-5 patients on dialysis are also vulnerable because of their existing co-morbidities, repeated unavoidable exposure to hospital environment and immune-suppressed state. These patients are therefore not only more prone to acquire infection but also develop severe diseases as compared to general population,” he added.

All hemodialysis units should educate their personnel, including nephrologists, nurses, technicians and all patients undergoing treatment along with their caregivers about COVID-19, it said.

The 7-page guidelines also recommends that every patient should be asked about symptoms suspected of COVID-19, history of contact with a diagnosed case of coronavirus infection and history of contact with person who has had recent travel to foreign country or from high COVID-19 prevalence area within the country.