Authorities to run dialysis centre at SDH Kangan
Ganderbal, Dec 22: Much to the relief of kidney patients requiring dialysis , the health department of Jammu and Kashmir has set into motion a process to establish a dialysis centre at the Sub District Hospital Kangan in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
Officials said that SDH Kangan is among the total of 11 health facilities across Kashmir where the department is intending to establish dialysis centres for the convenience of patients. In this regard, the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir in an official communique has written to the Chief Engineer of the Mechanical Engineering Department Kashmir to prepare detailed estimates for the installation of dialysis centres. This includes the installation of water loops, storage systems, transfer pumps, electrical backups with stabilisers, and other allied works.
The Chief Engineer has been asked to submit the estimates to the directorate within seven days in consultation with the respective Block Medical Officers to expedite the administrative approval process. The health facilities identified for the establishment of dialysis centres include SDH Dooru in Anantnag, CHC Pattan and CHC Chandoosa in Baramulla, CHC Chaar-e-Shareef, CHC Nagam, and CHC Pakherpora in Budgam, SDH Kangan in Ganderbal, SDH Kralpora in Kupwara, SDH DH Pora in Kulgam, SDH Zainapora in Shopian, and SDH Tral in Pulwama.
Member of Legislative Assembly Kangan Mian Mehar Ali has expressed gratitude to the Secretary Health and Medical Education department and Director Health Services Kashmir for starting the process of establishing a dialysis center in SDH Kangan. He said this will enable the patients to receive required treatment without any hardship.
Worth to mention that due to the non availability of dialysis centres in many areas the patients requiring dialysis were facing severe difficulties as most patients had to undertake frequent trips and often over long distances to access dialysis services. This includes incurring travel cost and loss of wages for the patients and family members leading to financial catastrophe for practically all families with such patients.
In absence of a government-run facility in such areas, the patients were forced to seek treatment at the privately operated centres involving high out of pocket expenditure by the patients, a patient from Kangan said. The decentralisation of dialysis services will also help ease the patient load on tertiary hospitals as well.