BBH to have 10 new dialysis machines by June

Rawalpindi: Four out of eight machines installed here at Benazir Bhutto Hospital for dialysis treatment are out of order however the BBH administration claimed that it would receive as many as 10 new machines for dialysis treatment till June this year.
A total of eight dialysis machines were installed here at the BBH some eight years back of which two machines were being used for patients of hepatitis C, one for hepatitis B patients and the rest five were used for dialysis of patients tested negative for hepatitis B and C. Presently, one machine is available for hepatitis B patients, one for hepatitis C patients while two machines are used for treatment of patients tested negative for hepatitis B and C.
It is important that hundreds of patients have to suffer badly because of unavailability of sufficient number of machines at the hospital and the four machines that are in working order have to bear extraordinary burden. The patients needing dialysis treatment have to visit at least once in every week regularly. In medicine, dialysis is a process for removing waste and excess water from the blood and is used as an artificial replacement for lost kidney function in patients with kidney failure.
Two of the faulty dialysis machines are under repair and would be available to patients within next week while two out of order dialysis machines need parts which are to be imported from abroad, said Medical Superintendent at BBH Dr. Asif Qadir Mir while talking to ‘The News’ on Saturday.
He added that the order for parts have been placed by the hospital administration last month. He explained that the installed machines are being used for years and now need repair on regular basis.
He, however, added that the BH would receive another 10 dialysis machines, hopefully, till June this year. The Punjab Chief Minister has sanctioned installation of new machines at the BBH two-and-a-half months back, said Dr. Mir. He said the budget for new dialysis machines is available and the purchase is in progress. He said at present, the available machines have to bear extraordinary burden of patients requiring dialysis treatment while few patients are referred to Holy Family Hospital for treatment.