Patient surge prompts kidney hospital to seek 22 dialysis machines

A surge in patients with renal failure needing dialysis has prompted the government-run Institute of Nephro Urology (INU) to request more dialysis machines.

In all, the premier kidney hospital has requested 10 haemodialysis machines from HAL under their CSR initiative, another 10 from the Bengaluru Smart City project and two from the Directorate of Medical Education (DME).

With kidney transplants halted during the lockdown, the number of patients requiring more dialysis sessions to stop the building of excess water, solutes and toxins in the blood has increased. The demand for machines has also increased since separate machines needed to be fixed for Covid and non-Covid patients. Machines used for Covid patients cannot be used for non-Covid patients to avoid cross infection.

The institute runs 15 machines for non-Covid patients and 14 for those with Covid at Victoria Hospital. The institute is located on the Victoria campus. It dialyses 55-60 non-Covid patients and 25-26 Covid patients at Victoria Hospital. Last month alone, it held over 1,300 dialysis sessions for non-Covid patients.

“Now, private hospitals have also been permitted by Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust for dialysis,” INU director Dr Keshavamurthy R told DH. “We’re optimally using our resources. Bowring hospital has also given two machines for the Covid ward at Victoria.”

The DME has bought 38 machines and is sending two machines to each of the state’s medical colleges. Dr Keshavamurthy said the INU was getting two machines. “The construction of our annexe got delayed due to Covid. We’re planning to instal 35 machines in the building,” he added.

Since patients require dialysis once in three days, the 20 machines at the INU are running at full capacity. Besides, the institute is also receiving patients on the waiting list for dialysis at KC General Hospital. Those skipping dialysis find fluid build-up.

Besides the INU, Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital also caters to patients with kidney issues with 50 non-Covid beds and 160 Covid beds. “We’ve six machines for non-Covid patients. One is on standby for emergency Covid cases. Last month, we conducted 251 dialysis sessions in our 15 dialysis beds,” said Dr Manoj Kumar, Dean and Director, Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, adding that the INU had taken four machines from them.