NAROWAL: More than 50,000 kidney patients have got free dialysis in the last 11 years from the dialysis unit of the Narowal District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital.

As the World Kidney Day is being celebrated all over the world today, there is need to raise awareness among the people about the importance of kidneys in human body and how to adopt healthy measures to prevent kidney diseases.

The government set up the dialysis unit in 2009 and provided four dialysis machines initially. Later on, philanthropists donated three more dialysis machines to the unite and another five more machines by the Punjab government bringing the number to 12 dialysis machines.The facility works round the clock in three shifts. In the last 11 years, 17,982 males and 32,571 females got free medicines and dialysis services at the ward.

Haamid Ali, 75, of Shakargarh, has been suffering from kidney failure for the last 12 years. “The doctors of Jinnah Hospital in Lahore diagnosed in 2008 with kidney problems,” he said.

“I got kidney dialysis for one year at Jinnah Hospital and private hospitals.” Since the establishment of the dialysis ward in Narowal, he says, he has been getting free treatment for the last 11 years. He said he visited the DHQ hospital twice a week for dialysis after covering the distance of 55km.

Rimsha Niazi, 22, an MSc student of Shakargarh is getting herself dialysised for the last one year. She said she had been diabetics since childhood, which later created kidney complications.

She said kidney patients were afraid of getting dialysis but the fact was that dialysis freshened patients and enabled them to do their routine work.

Kidney patients Muhammed Idrees and Tajammal Beg said they were thankful to the Punjab government for providing a costly treatment free of cost.

Dr Tariq Shaheen, ward in charge, said, “Despite low sources the dialysis unit is working round the clock.”

The unit ISO-certified where patients are completely looked after.

“The dialysis machines have been working for the last 10 years and often they are remain out of order.” He demanded that the government provide them with new dialysis machines to provide better facilities to the patients.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2020