Double blow for kidney patients in port city

Sufferings of kidney patients, who are also infected with Covid-19, have doubled as there is no scope of dialysis for them in the port city.

According to experts, an end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patient needs dialysis at least twice a week.

Dialysis is a process through which the body waste of kidney-failure patients are filtered out artificially. It is vital that patients suffering from ESRD are given dialysis, said Prof Dr SM Nurul Huda, head of nephrology department of Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

Among the government hospitals in Chattogram, only CMCH has the facility for dialysis. Besides, there is scope for dialysis in a number of private hospitals. However, the ESRD patients -- who are Covid-19 positive -- are deprived of this facility both in government and private hospitals.

In May, Dr Hasan Shahriar, Chattogram divisional director of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), and his 73-year-old mother tested Covid-19 positive.

Being an ESRD patient, his mother has been going through dialysis twice a week but after she tested positive, she was unable to get her dialysis done.

Finding no other option, he took her to the capital and admitted her to a private hospital there.

On May 26, Rakibul Islam, who was undergoing treatment at the "Corona Unit" of CMCH, passed away as the 27-year-old could not get kidney dialysis.

Though the hospital had a dialysis machine, it did not have any "water treatment plant" for patients. As a result, Rakibul had to wait for four days and eventually died, said family members.

"When the mother of the health boss in the division is deprived of treatment, you can realise what regular patients are going through," said SM Nazer Hossain, central vice president of Consumers Association of Bangladesh.

AMM Minhajur Rahman, Chattogram divisional organising secretary of Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad, however, held Dr Hasan Shahriar responsible for this situation.

"We told the divisional health director two months ago to take initiative so that ESRD patients with Covid-19 symptoms can maintain dialysis process," he added.

Five such machines have been supplied by the government to CMCH for Covid-19 patients recently but those are yet to be ready due to a technical glitch, he said, urging the CMCH authorities to address it immediately.

Contacted, Dr Hasan said he tried his best to initiate dialysis services for Covid-19 patients in private hospitals in the port city but could not succeed due to reluctance of owners.

In the government hospitals, initiatives have been taken that will materialise soon, he said, adding, "Besides, I am also trying to introduce the facility in Chattogram General Hospital."

Asked, Dr Liakat Ali, general secretary of Private Hospitals Owners' Association, Chattogram, said if they allow dialysis for Covid-19 patients in machines used for non-Covid19 patients, the latter too would get infected. "We do not have any separate arrangement," he said.

Contacted, CMCH Director Brig Gen SM Humayun Kabir said installation of machines have already been completed but those cannot be run as the river osmosis water treatment plant is yet to be installed. "It cannot be installed overnight… it takes time," he said.

"I have asked the private organisation which is operating the dialysis service in our hospital based on MoU with the government to look into the issue and come up with a solution soon. I have also informed the health ministry and expect to get results soon," he said.