Government kidney hospital resumes dialysis after halt ignites sufferings, protests

The National Institute of Kidney Diseases and Urology, or NIKDU, has resumed dialysis seven hours after halting the service, causing sufferings to patients and leading their families to stage protests.

The disgruntled families took to the streets in front of NIKDU at Mirpur Road in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar for a demonstration on Wednesday hampering traffic.

Indian company Sandor Dialysis Services Bangladesh Private Ltd, which was running the dialysis service in the institute under a public-private partnership, stopped the service over arrears, patients said.

Professor Dr Md Mizanur Rahman said later, “The problem has been solved. Dialysis resumed in the afternoon.”

Al Amin Bari has been undergoing dialysis service twice a week for the past 13 years at NIKDU. The patients there face many problems, he said.

“When the dialysis is delayed, we [kidney patients] have severe respiratory distress. The more it gets delayed, the more it becomes life-threatening for us. We came at 6am and found [the dialysis centre] locked. When asked, they said they couldn’t provide dialysis service as the government hasn’t paid them.”

“Every now and then they just stop the service for payment. This causes us a lot of trouble,” said Jasimuddin Liton.

bdnews24.com could not get a statement from Sandor Dialysis Services on the issue.

It requires Tk 2,700 to provide dialysis service for a patient once. The patient pays only Tk 510, while the hospital foots the remainder of the bill. NIKDU offers dialysis at a discounted rate on Mondays and Wednesdays.

The institute has paid the bills for its regular patients, but not those from other facilities that sent patients due to the coronavirus pandemic, said Prof Mizanur.

“Patients came from Kurmitola Hospital, Mugda Hospital due to the overcrowding there. They [Sandor] are asking for their extra payment, which they will get. It’s just that we need a little time.”