Delay in setting up Community Health Centre dialysis unit irks patients in Narasinghpur

CUTTACK: Resentment is brewing among hundreds of villagers suffering from renal failure in Narasinghpur block over inordinate delay in setting up a dialysis unit in local Community Health Centre (CHC).

Considering the rising incidents of kidney related ailments, the State Government in 2013 had decided to set up a dialysis centre in Narasinghpur CHC to provide relief to hundreds of renal failure patients at their doorstep. The Government had also planned to install two semi-auto analyser machines each at Kanpur and Maniabandh hospitals for prompt diagnosis of the renal ailments.

Sources said while more than 1500 people from 50 villages in Narasinghpur and 25 villages in Badamba block are reportedly suffering from renal dysfunctions and kidney-related ailments, over 400 have been died of kidney disease so far from 2001 to 2018. At present, patients undergoing dialysis have to travel 80 to 90 km to SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) in Cuttack.

Even after five years of the decision, the Government is yet to set up the dialysis unit raising public discontentment in the two-affected blocks. “It seems the Government has finished its duty and sitting idle after constructing a building, a three-bed Ward and fixing a nameplate in front of it,” said Nimain Charan Pradhan, a resident of Maniabandh.

Neither any dialysis machine has been set up nor any nephrologist and technicians have been appointed, he added. Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Dr Bibhuti Bhusan Nayak said considering the hue and cry over the delay in setting up dialysis unit, a review meeting chaired by local MLA Debi Prasad Mishra was held on Friday to put all necessary requirements as quickly as possible.“Necessary instruction has been given to expedite the work and make operational of the dialysis unit within the second week of September,” Nayak informed.