Dialysis Crisis: Manikganj Hospital left with only one working machine

Kidney patients in Manikganj are bearing the brunt of badly needed dialysis service at the Manikganj 250-bed General Hospital as four, out of five, dialysis machines are now out of order, thanks to the authorities' reluctance.  

Patients now have to pay nearly three times higher charges at private hospitals than government facilities for the same services.

In many cases, they are forced to seek treatment at private hospitals in nearby upazilas of Savar, enduring severe struggles, including transportation challenges and wasted time.

The Kidney Unit of the hospital began its journey on September 23, 2020, with just one dialysis machine and insufficient manpower.

In 2022, four more machines were added, along with an increase in staff, to enhance patient care.

However, by the following year, one or two machines started malfunctioning, forcing the unit to continue operations with limited capacity.

In 2023, two out of the five machines became completely inoperative, though they were later repaired.

Mohammad Bahauddin, the hospital's caretaker, said that he wrote to the National Electro-Medical Equipment Maintenance Workshop and Training Center (NIMU & TC) on 15 January 2024, requesting repairs for the dialysis machines. In response, a technical team from NIMU & TC inspected the machines.

On 2 February, the hospital authorities also informed the director of the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD) to repair the dialysis machines through another letter, mentioning that the machines were delivered on 27 September 2020.

The machines were fixed several times by the supplier, but after a few days the machines again went out of order.

On 22 January this year, the NIMU and TC submitted a report to the higher authority saying that the machines do not have a warranty period, with no service, operation manual, or contract.  

Habibur Rahman, senior staff nurse and also in charge of the dialysis unit of the hospital, addressing manifold problems of the machines, including in motherboard and power supply said they can provide dialysis service to some patients once or twice a week, leaving the rest patients uncared for.

Currently, a dialysis machine is functional and can provide service to four patients a week, with 40 more patients remaining uncared, he said, adding that a patient can get dialysis services at Tk400 per dialysis.

Shahadat Hossain, a kidney patient of Jaira village under Sadar upazila, said he has to undergo kidney dialysis every week. 

"I had been receiving the service from the general hospital costing Tk400. Now, due to the failure of the machine, I have to go to a private hospital and take the service for Tk1,200."

Talking to several other kidney patients, they all said that poor patients have become helpless by spending extra money, urging the government to address this issue immediately.

Admitting the suffering of the patients, the hospital's assistant director and also president of dthe istrict unit of DAB Dr Badrul Alam Chowdhury said they appraised the higher authority to set up new machines to address the problem, but they are yet to respond to it.