CHINIOT: Kidney patients have demanded a second shift be started at the dialysis ward of the district headquarters hospital here as they have to wait for weeks for their turn.

The Chiniot Tehsil Headquarters Hospital was upgraded to a district headquarters hospital (DHQ) in 2009 but without upgrading its building and infrastructure. In September 2011, a dialysis ward was started at the hospital to provide free facility to poor patients who otherwise had to pay Rs3,000 to Rs5,000 per session at private hospitals.

The DHQ had six dialysis machines each providing treatment to one person daily. The number of beneficiaries in 2011 was 347; 1,237 in 2012; 1,079 in 2013; and 1,332 in 2014. Although patients were benefitting from this facility for free, a person had to wait for two to three weeks for his/her turn. And in case of an emergency, patients were referred to Faisalabad’s Allied and DHQ hospitals.

Patients demanded the Punjab government start a second shift at the dialysis ward and also provide the service 24 hours in case of an emergency.

Fatima Bibi, a 60-year-old patient who visited the DHQ for dialysis, said her kidneys failed due to high blood pressure a year ago. Since then she had been undergoing dialysis twice a week. She said she was satisfied with the arrangements at the hospital, adding she did not have to pay a single penny for medicines or utilities.

However, Muhammad Hassan said he had visited the hospital for his father’s dialysis, but was asked to wait for three weeks that his father could not afford. So he had to turn to expensive private hospitals.

Dr Ajmal Hinjra, in-charge of the dialysis ward, said six patients were provided dialysis treatment daily as they were short of staff to start a second shift or emergency facility. He claimed a patient had to wait for his/her turn for two to three weeks.

DHQ Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Hamid Rafiq said due to shortage of staff it was not possible to operate two shifts or a 24-hour facility.

“Seats of 12 doctors and 11 nurses are lying vacant for long and we are facing a shortage of medical officers and paramedical staff for running our current facilities,” he added.

He said one doctor and six nurses were required to start another shift in the dialysis ward.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2015

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