SAMBALPUR: With all dialysis machines at the Nephrology department of Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla becoming defunct, patients suffering from renal ailments are left in a lurch.
This is not the first time the Nephrology department of the premier health care facility of western Odisha is in news for the wrong reasons.
The dialysis units at the hospital were shut last month owing to the absence of doctors. The unit is run under the supervision of medicine specialists who have undergone training in dialysis.
Around 16 patients undergo dialysis at the hospital daily. The dialysis unit here is a boon for patients suffering from renal failure and chronic kidney disease as they need to undergo the procedure, which is available free of cost at the hospital, more than once a week.
Left with no option, the patients are forced to visit private hospitals which charge anywhere between Rs 3,000-4,000 per dialysis session. VIMSAR sources said the breakdown in the dialysis unit occurred due to a fault in the RO plant of the machines.
The plant is meant to purify harmful substances and circulate water to the machines.
Superintendent Jayashree Dora said, “We have already initiated steps for repairing the machines. The required equipment are also being procured. But the maintenance company is yet to send its technician.” She said it will take 2 to 3 days for the machines to become functional again.
Unit in distress
All dialysis machines of VIMSAR Nephrology department stop functioning
Earlier, the dialysis unit was shut due to the absence of doctors
The unit is a boon for patients who need to undergo dialysis more than once a week
Private hospitals charge Rs 3,000-4,000 per dialysis session