KARACHI, Sept 7: The dialysis unit has started functioning in the Lyari General Hospital after induction of RO (Reverse Osmosis) water, a water purification system.

The unit has been set up in the newly-built Kidney Care Centre with all the necessary equipment, provided for the purpose.

But the unit could not be made operational due to the water supply problem and also due to absence of the RO system, and the dialysis equipment worth million of rupees remained unutilised since 1996.

The provincial government, taking a serious note of the situation, directed all the agencies concerned to expedite their efforts to make the project operational.

The chief secretary also visited the hospital, where he was briefed by the Medical Superintendent Ali Nawaz Khoso about the unit.

He told the CS that dialysis machines costing millions of rupees had been purchased in 1996, but they remained idle because of non-availability of fresh water, electricity problem and some technical reasons.

The provincial government solved the water supply problem by providing a separate water connection to the hospital and the RO system was also made functional.

During a visit to the hospital, this reporter found that all the eight dialysis machines had been installed and a kidney patient, Hidayat, was put on dialysis.

The MS informed that six patients were provided dialysis treatment in a couple of days.

With the installation of a proper RO system, we are now able to provide facility of dialysis to the needy and the poor patients, he added.

Mr Khoso said contacts would be established with the SUIT for a permanent liaison and necessary cooperation of philanthropists would also be sought for providing support to the poor and the needy patients.

To a question, he said that there was no shortage of medicines in the hospital, adding that all the patients were being given necessary medicines without any budgetary constraints.

He also said that the Town Nazim was cooperating with the hospital administration in the maintenance of healthy sanitary condition around the hospital.

The Lyari General Hospital was built on a modern design by the first prime minister of Pakistan to provide health care to the people in the remote areas of south and west districts (defunct) and in the interior of Balochistan.