No doctor for dialysis, 2 deaths in 3 weeks rock Una hospital

Rajesh Sharma
Una, November 27

The death of two patients during dialysis at Una district hospital over the past three weeks has raised questions over the functioning of the dialysis centre. The facility is without a doctor for the past around 45 days.

The dialysis centre has been set up under the public-private partnership mode. At present, it is being managed by one senior and three junior technicians. Six patients undergo dialysis here everyday. The building also houses the offices of the Chief Medical Officer and the Medical Superintendent.

The Health and Family Welfare Department entered into an agreement with Delhi-based Deep Chand Dialysis Centre Private Limited for providing haemo dialysis to patients.

After the signing of an MoU between the management of the dialysis company and the Una Chief Medical Officer, the centre was formally inaugurated by Rural Development Minister Virender Kanwar on March 1 this year. The same firm has reportedly set up 100 such centres across the country in collaboration with government establishments. 

According to senior technician Kamal Saini of the dialysis centre, the doctor has proceeded for higher studies and the manager has also quit.  Admitting that two patients had recently died during dialysis, he said patients undergoing treatment were, at times, terminally ill. Whenever an emergency arose, he would contact the company’s nephrologist on the phone, he said.

Intravenous injections, as suggested by the doctor, were given to the patients, but they failed to recover, he added. His seniors had assured that the process of hiring the services of a doctor and a manager for the Una centre was underway, he said.

So far, about 1,300 patients have undergone dialysis at the centre at a cost of Rs 1,196 for a single procedure that takes around 4-5 hours.

While the CMO was on tour, District Medical Officer of Health Dr Nikhil Sharma confirmed the death of two patients at the centre recently. While the Centre was supposed to provide services through its doctors, specialist from the district hospital also rendered their services as and when any emergency arose at the centre, he claimed.

About the mandatory presence of a nephrologist at the centre, he said the revised guidelines provided that the services of a trained nephrologist could be had online, but dialysis centres could not function without a doctor. He said a communication to the firm for providing the services of a doctor would be sent at the earliest.

Left to Technicians 

• The dialysis centre, set up under the public-private partnership mode, was inaugurated on March 1 this year
• Six patients undergo dialysis daily at centre, being manned by one senior and 3 junior technicians for past 45 days
• District Medical Officer Dr Nikhil Sharma said the company would soon be asked to post a doctor at centre