As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has thrown challenges for the patients suffering from the Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKD) in tier II and tier III cities, leading healthcare provider Ujala Cygnus Hospitals have launched a five-bedded dedicated dialysis care centre in its Varanasi unit so that the CKD patients don’t miss their scheduled dialysis in such unprecedented times.
Usually, there are two kinds of kidney diseases such as chronic and acute kidney diseases, but they can overlap as well. Chronic kidney disease has slow, insidious progress and is caused by diabetes, hypertension, periodic urinary tract infections, among others. Therefore, people should make sure that diabetes and hypertension are controlled.
The centre was inaugurated by Bank of Baroda’s branch manager Mr Ram Arya in the presence of Ujala Cygnus Healthcare’s zonal manager Dr Prasun Kumar, Urologist Dr Tarun Gupta, Surgeon Dr Vinita Shrivastav and Unit Head Dr Ankur Rajoriya.
“The Covid-19 cases have increased in UP and owing to that there are partial lockdowns in many places. Subsequently, dialysis patients in Varanasi and nearby towns and villages are going through a severe crisis as skipping a dialysis session can be determental to their health. There has also been dearth of affordable dialysis centres in the city and the patients have been facing severe challenges in getting their dialysis done in such unprecedented times. That’s why we decided to come up with a dedicated dialysis centre in our hospital to provide a helping hand to those patients,” said Dr Prasun Kumar, Zonal Manager, Ujala Cygnus Healthcare.
The hospital has been taking many steps to ensure the patient doesn’t catch any infection. Dialysis personnel, attendants and care givers all wear a three- layer surgical facemask while they are inside the dialysis unit. All patients with suspected COVID-19 are dialyzed in isolation, in physically separate area. Staff caring for suspected cases doesn’t look after other patients during the same shift. Dialysis staff uses all personal protective equipment (PPE) for strongly suspected patients of COVID-19. They have been separating equipments like stethoscopes, thermometers, Oxygen saturation probes and blood pressure cuffs between patients with appropriate cleaning and disinfection done in between shifts.
“Dialysis patients are going through severe hindrances because of the various factors that include absence of public transport, restriction on movement due to lockdown, financial constraints, fear of catching COVID, non-availability of attendants/relatives and many being not sure whether health facilities will be open. Lack of physical activity, unregulated diet, absence of proper investigations and follow up can vitiate the control of lifestyle disease especially diabetes & blood pressure which can have a detrimental effect on kidney function especially in patients with chronic kidney disease,” Dr Tarun Gupta, Senior Urologist added.