NDP: District Hospital Anantnag takes lead, aims expansion
Carries out 1500 dialysis in 7 months
Srinagar: Being the first district to have free dialysis services under the centrally sponsored National Dialysis Programme (NDP), District Hospital Anantnag has achieved the feat of performing 1500 dialysis since the inception of the services in April this year, with an aim of expansion in coming days.
The dialysis services have been so far started in Anantnag, Baramulla and CHC Rajpora, besides some trials going on at JLNM Rainawari. The facility at Anantnag was e-inaugurated by the then Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti this year.
“We have so far performed 1500 dialysis of the patients who were in need and had to undergo the renal transplant, since April this year,” said Medical Superintendent, DH Anantnag, Dr Majid Mirab.
With successfully undertaking the services, the hospital administration is now contemplating to increase the capacity as it has already taken up the matter with the government.
“Currently, we have the capacity of 6 beds and we want to take it to 10 beds in order to cater to the needs of the more population who are in the need,” he said.
Asked if the administration was equipped with the manpower to take care of the expanded dialysis facility, Dr Mirab said that “everything is in place and we are expecting the expansion soon.”
Notably, there, initially, was a delay in setting up the Rs 200 lakh funded NDP that could have eased the financial burden on numerous patients suffering from kidney ailments.
Officials in the health department said that they are on the project and it will be soon started at other hospitals as well.
“At JLNM, there are trails going on and we are, currently training the staff that has been put in place through the internal arrangement,” an official said.
The programme is for the provision of free dialysis services that are to be provided to the below poverty line category patients and subsidised dialysis to others. The programme was announced in 2016 for 10 district hospitals of the state that were shortlisted.
The lack of manpower to man the dialysis centres was also one of the reasons that there was a delay in kick-starting dialysis facilities at the other government hospitals as well, however, officials are expecting a head away soon.
Irfan Tramboo
