KOZHIKODE: Rohit Raveendran’s grandfather, who tested positive for Covid, has been left in the lurch. The 81-year-old dialysis patient has been denied treatment for his kidney ailment as the private hospital he visits every alternate day has stopped taking patients who are Covid infected.
The situation has turned for the worse as the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (MCH) and the Beach General Hospital — the only two hospitals in the district that accept dialysis patients who test positive — do not have enough slots to accommodate him.
Rohit’s grandfather’s is not an isolated case. Several dialysis patients infected with Covid here are struggling without receiving treatment on time.
At present, less than 50 slots are available for dialysis patients at the Kozhikode MCH daily while the Beach General Hospital accommodates less than 10 patients.
This is not sufficient to cater to the hundreds of dialysis patients who queue up at the hospital for treatment daily.
Rohit said some hospitals have shut down their dialysis units due to the pandemic, while the available ones are only providing services to those patients who are Covid negative.
“This has put a huge strain on the dialysis patients,” he said.
Sources at the Kozhikode MCH said several patients are arriving from Malappuram and Wayanad, apart from Kozhikode, without prior bookings.
Many have also started arriving from Kannur district for dialysis, leading to further crisis at the hospital.
Though over 150 patients are included in the MCH hospital list daily, only 50 of them are able to undergo the dialysis, said a source.