Birtamod, June 3: Underprivileged people suffering from kidney ailments have started getting free hemodialysis services from six hospitals in Jhapa district. This service has started from B&C Teaching Hospital in Birtamod.
Free hemodialysis service is being provided under the underprivileged citizens treatment fund run by the government of Nepal. This service has been started in Jhapa’s B&C Teaching Hospital, Omsai Pathivara Hospital, Provincial Hospital Bhadrapur, Lifeline Hospital, Manmohan Community Hospital and Purnatung Birta City Hospital.
Pramish Giri, public relations officer at B&C Hospital, said that B&C Teaching Hospital has started hemodialysis service through five machines. According to him, the ‘paying dialysis’ system was already in operation in the hospital. He said that preparations are being made to expand the service by adding 20 machines within the next month.
“B&C Hospital has started the service so that kidney patients in Jhapa do not have to wait for dialysis services”, he said, “To get this service, patients have to bring a letter of recommendation from the municipality. There is a provision that the patient can get this free service until he or she undergoes a kidney transplant.”
Dr. Gopal Mishra, a physician at B&C Teaching Hospital, said that more than 3,000 kidney patients are increasing in Nepal every year. He says that kidney problems are also increasing due to the excessive consumption of drugs as well.
Omsai Pathivara Hospital is providing dialysis services with maximum 19 machines in Jhapa. According to Manoj Dahal, manager of the hospital, Omsai is providing hemodialysis services for kidney patients from Bhadrapur as well as from Lahan and Itahari.
Bhadrapur provincial hospital has 13 machines, Birta City has five machines and Manmohan Hospital has five machines to provide dialysis services to patients.
With the expansion of hemodialysis services in hospitals, kidney patients from Jhapa, Ilam, Panchthar and Taplejung in eastern Nepal no longer have to travel to Dharan and Biratnagar for hemodialysis.
