SBMCH gets first kidney dialysis unit

A kidney dialysis unit with 10 machines has been installed at ‍Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) in Barishal.

The authorities of the public hospital said the government took the initiative to support kidney patients -- especially those infected with coronavirus and in urgent need of dialysis.

The machines were procured from Japan, said Dr Manabendra Das, registrar of the Department of Nephrology at SBMCH.

Hospital Director Dr Bakir Hossain, who inaugurated the unit on Tuesday, said 10 more machines will be set up soon and then 20 patients can undergo kidney dialysis at a time.

Through the inauguration, the hospital has got the first-ever kidney dialysis unit in its 52 years of history, said the authorities.

The dialysis would be cheaper than that of private hospitals or clinics, they confirmed.

Talking about the issue, Dr Manabendra Das said a kidney patient, who needs dialysis twice a week for six months, have to spend around Tk 2.5 lakh at private healthcare centre.

However, SBMCH is offering such a package for only Tk 20,000, Dr Das told this newspaper.

Khasru Alam Sikder from Baherchar village in Patuakhali -- who is the first patient admitted to the unit -- said, "I am very happy to receive the service. Now, I need not go to Dhaka or a private clinic to get a dialysis."