Gorkha District Hospital begins dialysis services

By Narendra Dhakal, Gorkha, Aug 25: The Gorkha District Hospital has started providing hemodialysis services to patients suffering from renal problems. 

The kidney patients are now not compelled to visit other districts to receive the services. Earlier, the patients were compelled to visit Kathmandu, Chitwan, and Pokhara to undergo dialysis services.  "Dialysis service has been started at Gorkha Hospital from Tuesday, targeting the local kidney patients," said Krishna Dhakal, information officer of the hospital. 

It is estimated that more than 50 patients in the district are undergoing treatment through dialysis. The service will run seven days a week. 

"We had received all the necessary equipment two years ago, but we could not start the service due to a lack of a building and needed manpower."

According to Gorkha Hospital, dialysis service has been started for the first time in the district as the coronavirus epidemic has subsided and the hospital has been shifted to a new building.

Earlier, due to the lack of dialysis services in the district, patients here were forced to visit other districts spending a lot of money. Their time and money were wasted when they had to reserve an ambulance twice a week, said Dhakal. 

As announced by the government, the Gorkha Hospital will provide free dialysis services, saving time and money for many patients. 

Dialysis is a treatment method used to save a kidney patient with the help of a machine. When a kidney loses up to 90 percent of its ability to function, dialysis is done in the final stage.

The dialysis is done by a device called the dilator from which the blood is cleaned and the cleaned blood goes back into the patient's body. Dialysis should be done 2-3 times a week as until the end of life.  At present, various services including maternity services and minor operations are being provided at the district hospital.