Dialysis patients face severe hardships amid official neglect

Nagarkurnool : Dialysis patients at the district hospital in Nagar Kurnool are enduring severe hardships due to systemic neglect and inadequate medical care.

Patients, who often arrive as early as four in the morning, report waiting until well past seven before receiving any treatment. This delay poses significant risks to their health, given that dialysis treatments typically take about four hours.

Treatment schedules are intended to start at 6 am, with patients being treated in phases. However, the consistent delays result in incomplete treatments, further exacerbating the patients’ health issues. The dialysis ward itself is reported to be in a terrible state, with unhygienic conditions contributing to the patients’ suffering. Complaints about the lack of cleanliness and neglect have been ignored for days.

A particularly alarming situation was observed recently when none of the four scheduled staff members arrived until after 7:30 am. This absence of staff and timely treatment has left many patients feeling that their lives are in jeopardy due to neglect from higher officials, who seem indifferent to their plight. Patients also allege that the staff’s behaviour towards them is often dismissive and disrespectful.

Adding to the patients’ woes, the contractor responsible for maintaining the dialysis ward has failed to provide even the minimum necessary facilities. Frustrated patients are now urging the authorities to take immediate and decisive action to address these issues.

Currently, 36 dialysis patients across the district rely on the Nagar Kurnool district hospital for their treatments. The chronic shortage of staff and resources has made it increasingly difficult for these patients to receive the care they need.