Bheri Hospital adds four dialysis machines

By Siraj Khan

Nepalgunj, Nov 1 : Bheri Hospital in Nepalgunj has added four new dialysis machines, providing much-needed relief to kidney patients, who had to wait for a long time for their turn to get treatment.

With the growing number of kidney patients arriving daily from Nepalgunj and nearby districts, the hospital had been struggling to meet the demand. The addition of the new machines has now eased the pressure and improved access to timely treatment.

Before the addition, the hospital had only six machines, operating in three shifts to serve 18 patients a day. According to the hospital’s Medical Superintendent, Dr. Nirajan Subedi, the total number of machines has now increased to 10, allowing dialysis services for up to 30 patients daily.

“Previously, patients had to wait several days for their turn. Now, with the addition of four machines, they are getting treatment on time. Earlier, many patients were forced to visit private hospitals and pay high fees because of the delay,” he said.

Dr. Subedi added that the hospital relocated the old ICU used during the COVID-19 pandemic to a new building and converted the space to expand the dialysis unit.

Chairman of the Bheri Hospital Development Committee, Birendra Bahadur Shah, said that the addition of four new machines has made Bheri Hospital one of the leading centres for kidney treatment in the province. 

“This upgrade has benefited not only patients from Banke but also from neighbouring districts such as Bardiya, Surkhet, Dang and Kailali,” he said.

Committee member Dr. Dakta Dhital said that the hospital’s capacity to provide daily dialysis services has increased significantly with the installation of the new machines.

According to Bheri Hospital, three of the new dialysis machines were provided by the Department of Health Services, while one was repaired and brought into operation using the hospital’s resources.

The hospital has also repaired and upgraded old dialysis beds to improve service quality and has reorganised beds in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to ensure better management.