28 dialysis machines sit idle in Chandka hospital.

Byline: M.B. Kalhoro

LARKANA -- Kidney patients, who visit Chandka Medical College Hospital to have dialysis, were in for a shock on Wednesday after learning that eight out of 14 dialysis machines at the nephrology unit had stopped working after developing faults while 20 new machines had been gathering dust in the hospital's store for two years.

In-charge of the nephrology unit Dr Zahid Ali Shaikh confirmed to Dawn that in all, 10 machines had developed faults but two were repaired on Tuesday.

The unit provided dialysis facility to not only patients of Larkana division but also patients from Jafferabad, Balochistan, and bordering areas of Punjab, he said.

He said the unit had capacity to attend to 50-60 patients when it was fully functional, but at present it could handle hardly 40 patients.

Sources in the hospital said that unfortunately, protocol for dialysis was not being observed as it required four hours to complete a round but due to rush and faulty machines and pressure of patients' attendants the single round was being completed within two hours.

The in-charge confirmed it and admitted that it might increase impurities in the body which the dialysis was meant to bring down.

Patients' pressure heightened by incidents of attacks and insults hurled on doctors had led to this situation, he said.

Presently, 250 patients were registered with the unit. The gravity of the problem had further deepened as the reverse osmosis system's output had also gone down.

The unit's in-charge had conveyed the situation to medical superintendent of CMCH in a series of letters but in vain, said the sources.

Dr Shaikh wrote on Oct 22 in a letter to MS with caption 'most urgent' that warned 'in the event of any emergency/casualty hospital administration will be responsible'.

The issue had also been conveyed to Shaheed Mohtarma...