Mangaluru, Aug 12: During an interaction programme with severe chronic renal patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis at Government Wenlock Hospital under a pilot project launched by the state government, the patients revealed that their health conditions had largely improved with the initiation of peritoneal dialysis which could be done at home on their own.
Under the project initiated by the health department, peritoneal dialysis kits were distributed to 20 needy beneficiaries by Wenlock Hospital, which were selected by medical doctors based on their health conditions. This form of dialysis does not require the patients to visit the hospital for each dialysis cycle.
After selection, trained coordinators had visited the patients at their homes to teach them the right method for dialysis. Using the peritoneal kits, patients can themselves go through the dialysis cycle thrice a day, for 10-15 minutes each time.
The selected patients have been undergoing peritoneal dialysis since a year after the kits were distributed to them.
Speaking at the interaction programme organised by Wenlock Hospital in the city on Wednesday, one of the patients Baby Shetty from Udupi district said that she had been undergoing haemo-dialysis earlier, which had rendered her weak and incapacitated. “Before switching to peritoneal dialysis, I was unable to do any physical work or even walk at times. But since a year, it has been easier after switching to peritoneal dialysis. My strength has regained, my health has improved and I feel better with the peritoneal dialysis, which can be done at home. This has been helpful, as there is no necessity to make frequent visits to the hospital, except once a month,” she said.
She requested that the health department should continue to provide medicines and dialysis fluid free of cost to patients like her.
Another chronic renal patient Henry Pinto from Belthangady taluk, manages to run an auto-rickshaw after beginning to undergo peritoneal dialysis. “From a year, it is better to cope with peritoneal dialysis cycles unlike before with haemo-dialysis. I have better health with peritoneal dialysis and face almost no difficulty, since peritoneal dialysis is convenient to do it myself,” he said.
He requested that a doctor should be made available to attend to the patients once in a week, since a nephrologist was unable outside of Mangaluru city. “At present, we make a monthly visit to the Wenlock Hospital. But a nephrologist should be available for consultation weekly once in case of infection,” he told Legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa and health minister U T Khader, who were present on the dias during the programme.
Similarly, an elderly patient Lalitha from Madikeri, Kodagu district, said that the peritoneal dialysis scheme was a boon to chronic renal patients, such as her, which was otherwise difficult to cope with. She requested the health minister that the scheme should be extended to more beneficiaries.
The first peritoneal dialysis centre in a government hospital in Dakshina Kannada was inaugurated at Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru, by health minister U T Khader in March 2014.
Also Read: Mangaluru: New haemo-dialysis centre inaugurated at Wenlock Hospital
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