Beni, Aug 3 

Free dialysis service has begun at Beni Hospital in the Myagdi district headquarters, Beni, from last Sunday onward.

With this, the kidney patients are freed from compulsion to pay exorbitant price for routine dialysis service at the public and private hospitals outside the district. To this effect, the Ministry of Social Development of the Gandaki State provided training along with equipment required for the hospital to begin the new service.

Two kidney patients received the service from the hospital on Sunday. Hospital management committee chair Bel Bahadur Katuwal informed the hemodialysis service has begun at the hospital from four equipment provided by the Gandaki State and two machines donated by the Diaspora Myagdi. Two doctors and four staff nurses are providing the service from the dialysis unit.

The hospital has mobilized its internal resources besides the budget received from State government to make the infrastructure and management of the unit more effective. As informed the hospital has initiated the free dialysis service from three beds in the first phase. With this infrastructure in place, six kidney patients can receive the service from the unit in a day, said hospital in-charge Dr Amrit Adhikari.

He further informed the hospital would go for test operation of the service for some days and then continue the delivery in a more systematic manner with its formal inauguration. As the hospital building is disable-friendly it is expected to provide the service to the disadvantaged people in an inclusive manner, Dr Adhikari said. Parbati BK, a kidney patient, said the operation of dialysis service has eased the people with low economic status to access the much-anticipated treatment at the nearby hospital.

“It has become a boon for the patients. There is hope for longevity with the service coming to the reach of the people”, she added.