Kidney stone removal machine adds to patients woes

RAWALPINDI: Lithotripter that is essential equipment used to remove kidney stones particularly those which are greater in size is not available in any public sector healthcare facilities including the three teaching hospitals here in town.

The only lithotripter installed here at Benazir Bhutto Hospital some 25 years back has been once again out of order for nearly two years as in the beginning of 2016, the machine was made operational through repair by applying a hefty amount of well over Rs7.1 million from national exchequer though the machine remained functional only for three to four months, from February 2016 to May 2016.

The lithotripter that is used to break kidney stone into small pieces that can travel through the urinary tract more easily and pass from the body was installed at the BBH to cater to the needs of patients suffering from kidney stones or stones in gallbladder visiting the three allied hospitals namely BBH, Holy Family Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital.

The lithotripter installed at the BBH had been out of order since 2003 however it was made operational for nearly three months by spending well over Rs7 million some two years back, said Head of Urology Department at BBH Associate Professor Dr. Zain while talking to ‘The News’.

He said the machine installed at the BBH had become out-dated prior to its repair and the company given out contract of repair and maintenance took the same plea when the lithotripter got out of order three months after becoming functional in 2016. The contract had a warranty of one year, he said.

When the lithotripter got out of order after three or four months, the contractor said the machine could not be repaired again and the case was sent to Punjab health department and the company was declared blacklisted, he said.

He added there no plan has been devised to install new lithotripter at the BBH. The patients reaching allied hospitals in need of lithotripsy have to avail the facility at private set-ups where they have to pay not less than Rs20,000 per session, said Professor Zain while responding to a query.

He said the facility of lithotripsy if available to patients anywhere in a public sector hospital costs only Rs2,500 to Rs6,000 per session. It is worth mentioning here that the facility of lithotripsy is not available to patients anywhere in public sector healthcare facilities in the district.