Mar 15, Kathmandu: 37 health institutions across the country have requested 254 dialysis machines from the government. According to the Management Division under the Ministry of Health and Population, Department of Health Services, 37 small and large health institutions across the country have requested 254 dialysis machines.

Management Division Director Dr. Sarvesh Sharma informed that currently there are 20 machines in the storage room of the division. Sharma informed that the demand for dialysis machines in health institutions from big hospitals to the local level has been increasing in recent times. He said, "At present, 37 health institutions have a demand for 254 machines. But we have only 20.

The 180 that the Indian government is supposed to give has not arrived. If those machines are given, it will be enough to meet the demand." The Government of India had announced to provision of 2000 kidney dialysis machines. According to the same announcement, 20 dialysis machines were handed over to the Ministry of Health a few days ago. The remaining 180 dialysis machines have not been handed over.

We distribute based on need. According to Sharma, instead of giving according to demand, machines will be distributed based on the number of machines needed in the monitoring health institutions. He said, "It has also been found that some health institutions are asking for machines and keeping them unused even though there are no health workers. So that this does not happen, we will prioritize the distribution of machines in places where there are a lot of patients and where they are used." In which organization the machine is unused?

Sharma informed us that there is a plan to transfer the machines from such institutions to necessary health institutions. Which organization has demanded how much? Director of the Management Division. According to the data provided by Sharma, large health institutions and small health institutions of the valley have demanded dialysis machines. Arjundhara Nagar Hospital in Jhapa has requested 2 machines, Bandipur Hospital in Tanahun has 10 machines, and Bardia Hospital in Gulria has demanded two machines.

According to the division, there are 20 in Veer Hospital, four in Chitwan-based BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, 14 in Civil Hospital, five in Dadeldhura Hospital, five in Damak Hospital, 10 in Dhulikhel Hospital, five in District Hospital Dhankuta, four in District Hospital Lamjung, three in District Hospital Panchthar, three in District Hospital Syangja. Then has demanded a machine.

Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital Saptari has requested four, Health Office Rukum Paschim four, and Human Organ Transplant Center in Bhaktapur has requested 30 kidney dialysis machines. Similarly, one from Kanchanrup Municipality of Saptari, five from Kanti Child Hospital, three from Khairhani Municipality Chitwan, four from Koshi Hospital Morang, 10 from Lumbini Regional Hospital, 10 from Mahendra Narayan Nidhi Memorial Hospital Kathmandu, one from Mugling Highway Hospital, 25 from Narayani Hospital Parsala, one from Nayan Health Nepal Achham. Sharma informed me that he requested the machine.

Five in Pokhara Municipality in Kaski, two in Thankot Primary Hospital, two in Rangeli Hospital in Morang, 10 in Rapti Academy of Health Sciences in Dang, eight in Rapti Provincial Hospital in Tulsipur, five in Resunga Municipality in Gulmi, two in Shaheed Gangalal National Heart Center, 12 in Seti Provincial Hospital, five in Sirha Hospital. There is a demand for 254 machines including 10 machines in Tikapur Hospital and 5 machines in Udaipur District Hospital.

Dialysis is done in 50 government and 29 private, community, and teaching hospitals listed across the country. Head of the Social Health Security Branch of the Ministry of Health and Population Dr. According to Khageshwar Gelal, there are 713 dialysis machines in operation, 280 in government hospitals, and 433 in private hospitals.

According to the statistics of the Ministry of Health, the kidneys of more than 6,000 people across the country are not functioning. Five thousand of them have been undergoing dialysis for free. It is mentioned in the statistics that the remaining 1,000 are undergoing dialysis for a fee. Such patients have to undergo dialysis up to three times a week.