Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Aug 21: With people not able to move freely, the patients who are to undergo dialysis are facing tough time reaching Srinagar while as scores have already missed the set appointments for dialysis which has led to complications.
The situation is not only tough for those who are coming from other districts of the Valley, but also for those who are living in Srinagar areas and could not make it to reach the hospitals or dialysis centres on set dates.
A patient named Muhammad Shaban from Nowhatta area of Srinagar has missed two of his appointments at a private dialysis centre situated in Soura. He has to undergo dialysis thrice in a week, but he could not show up at the centre since Eid due to restrictions.
“We came here last a day before Eid, and after that we could not make it and missed two consecutive dialysis sessions, as my husband was not feeling well, we had to bring him in today,” said Muhammad Shaban’s wife.
Another female patient who had to come from Baramulla has also missed her dialysis yesterday as she could not reach to the dialysis centre. She has also developed several complications.
“We could not make it to the dialysis centre yesterday, later she developed complications and we were compelled to bring her today,” said her son Bilal Ahmad, holding the hand of his ailing mother while bringing her down from the car.
Dr Masood Hassan, who is running a private dialysis centre confirmed that the patients coming from other districts or even from Srinagar failed to report on their due appointments for dialysis sessions.
“As they are not able to reach here, they have missed the dialysis sessions and have now developed complications; it has chances of increasing the mortality rate,” Dr Masood said, adding “we have to shuffle the things a bit now to accommodate them and provide them with slots.”
Same turned out to be the situation at the Haemodialysis Unit of Sher-e-Kashmir Institute Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura where the patient have missed several sessions of dialysis. Those patients who know that they won’t be able to make it to the hospital are now living in nearby accommodation.
Ghulam Nabi Shah, a resident of Baramulla district’s Tangmarg area said that he-along with his son who has to undergo dialysis-could not make it to the hospital twice in the previous week, resulting in complications. Today they managed to reach the hospital.
“Unlike many others, I cannot stay here at the rented accommodation as there are so many things that I will have to buy from the market so that my son-who is set for the transplant-can live here; the markets are closed, so I prefer to come from home for dialysis,” he said.
The dialysis unit at SKIMS is not providing with the facility of maintenance dialysis, but is offering the service to those in emergency or those who are set for kidney transplant. The maintenance dialysis is usually provided by the private dialysis centers.
The doctors at the hospitals said the cases that they visit are sensitive and must undergo dialysis sessions whenever due. “If they miss these sessions, they are exposed to larger risks which can at times prove fatal,” said a doctor at the hospital.
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