Patients undergoing dialysis at the government-run Institute of Nephro Urology in the City have been frequently put to inconvenience as they are either made to wait for a long duration or the dialysis machines usually have some glitches.

Often patients have been forced to go to private hospitals. There are over 20 dialysis machines and on an average nearly 55 patients undergo dialysis every day at the centre.

But there have been regular complaints about many dialysis machines breaking down or having a technical snag. This, according to official sources, is mainly due to non-maintenance of the machines which needs regular servicing and replacement if required.

Recently, the centre faced problem as it was not able to receive filtered water to be used in their dialysis machines due to malfunctioning in their reverse osmosis (RO) plant.

An amount of 120 litres of RO filtered water is used in the dialysis machine while a patient undergoes dialysis. RO water is the heart of any dialysis machine without which it cannot work, an expert said.

Further, explaining the use of RO water, the expert said that acidic concentrates are mixed with RO water during dialysis as part of the procedure.  

The main problem at the RO plant was said to be the turbidity of water that was being supplied through the BWSSB water connection. Sources say that the water was contaminated due to an apparent seepage of sewage water into the pipe carrying Cauvery water.

However, if an RO plant is installed to filter water, any kind of contaminated water would get purified. But the RO plant will work to its full capacity only if it is maintained well.

However, officials from BWSSB ruled out water being contaminated as the main feeders lines are located at the same premises from where water is supplied to many areas.

An outsourced agency which maintains the RO plant complained about high levels of chlorine in the water. The Board official said that due to summer, chlorine level in Cauvery water was revised and this could be the reason why chlorine level were found to be high.

The Institute of Nephro Urology centre had faced problems with the RO plant during rainy season last year and again recently when the filter membrane of the RO plant had given way, said an official from the outsourced agency.  BWSSB has suggested the agency assisting the centre to incorporate a dechlorination  plant before water is diverted to the RO plant.

Dr Ratkal Chandrashekhar S, director of the centre said they were facing frequent problems with the RO plant due to which there was huge expenditure in the maintenance. However, the problem with the RO plant has been rectified and dialysis is going on smoothly, he added.