DADU: Local dialysis patients in need of operation are compelled to go to Hyderabad and Karachi because of unavailability of a urologist at Dialysis centre of the Civil Hospital Dadu.

The centre was constructed by former Sindh chief minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi in 2004 and it started working in June 2006. But nowadays, it is facing financial issues and shortage of staff, including the urologist, causing suspension of operations in this centre for the last three years.

According to senior medical officer Dr Ghulam Nabi Surhio, this is the only dialysis centre in the district and patients came here from different parts of Dadu district to have dialysis, but owing to unavailability of urologist and technicians, operations were not carried out in the centre and patients preferred to go to Hyderabad and Karachi for operations.

Dr Surhio said he and his staff were offering their services for only dialysis patients except for operations. He said three to four patients reported daily for dialysis here and it took four hours to complete one dialysis session. It cost a patient almost Rs2,500, but private hospitals charged from Rs3,500 to Rs4,000 per patient.

He said the post of urologist was vacant since famous urologist Dr Nissar Ahmed Shaikh had been transferred three years ago.

In accidental cases, patients were referred to Hyderabad and Karachi for dialysis because only specialist urologist could insert catheter of CVP (central veins pressure) line because it was more risky.

A patient, Abass Ali Bhand, resident of Menhoon Khan Bhand, said he had been a dialysis patient for the last three years and visited the centre thrice a week to have dialysis. After having dialysis, he felt well, he said.

A technician of urology center, Imdad Ali Abbasi, said two doctors and four technicians had received training of three months from Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro but as soon as they returned, all were sent to other hospitals.

He said that on emergency bases, general surgeon Dr Ghulam Qasim Chandio conducted operations at general operation theatre but the hospital needed to appoint a urologist to carry out the process.