Srinagar, Jan 20: The Health Department Kashmir is set to establish a dialysis center at Community Health Centre (CHC) Tangmarg in north Kashmir, officials said.
The lone dialysis facility in Tangmarg area will provide relief to the patients as health officials are in process of procuring dialysis machines through JKMSCL to accommodate patients who otherwise had to visit to Srinagar hospitals to avail the facility.
Block Medical Officer, Tangmarg, Dr. Zahoor Tantray said that the dialysis facility will be started soon at the hospital’s under-construction Maternity and Child Health block.
“It will initially have two beds, but we can accommodate up to five beds. We expect to receive the two beds and machines by the end of this month, enabling us to start operations for the convenience of patients,” he said.
The BMO said that they have trained staff like staff nurses and pharmacists who would be tasked to run the facility, for which the process was started a few years back.
“This is a huge area and patients often require the dialysis facility, now they do not need to worry as the facility is at their doorsteps and they don’t need to go to Srinagar,” he said.
Notably, there is no dialysis facility in any government-run hospital, including centrally located SDH Magam, PHC Kunzer, along the 37-kilometer stretch from Tangmarg to Srinagar and other adjoining areas with patients issues in getting their dialysis done.
“The dialysis equipment is on the way and the first machine is coming to Tangmarg only. We are installing one AC in the facility,” he said.
Two days ago, Director Health Services Kashmir visited the hospital and took an assessment of the progress of ongoing work for the establishment of a dialysis unit and stressed for timely completion to enhance healthcare services in the area.
As per locals, there has been a growing demand for enhanced dialysis services due to the rising incidence of kidney diseases, especially among patients requiring regular dialysis.
Officials of the health department said in future, they can further improve and augment the dialysis services as there is an increasing demand for dialysis.
The patients and civil society of Tangmarg area had demanded establishment of a dialysis facility as kidney patients had been facing several problems.
Regarding the under-construction Maternity and Child Health block at the CHC, the BMO stated that the remaining work of Rs 1 crore, will be completed, and the building is expected to be finished within this year.
