Dialysis Services Resume at Provincial Hospital Jaleshwar After Three-Year Hiatus

Janakpurdham. Dialysis machines at the Provincial Hospital in Jaleshwar, Mahottari, which had been idle for the past three years due to a lack of manpower, were brought into operation a week ago. The commencement of dialysis services has brought relief to kidney patients and their families. With this development, there is growing demand for the hospital to also operate ICU, NICU, and other specialized services.

A week ago, Madhesh Province Minister for Health and Population Jangilal Ray, Ministry Secretary Dr. Pramod Kumar Yadav, and the hospital's acting chief Dr. Ravi Shrivastav jointly inaugurated the dialysis unit.

The hospital administration stated that out of the six dialysis machines available, five are in regular operation, while one is kept as a backup for emergency situations.

According to the hospital's acting chief, Dr. Ravi Shrivastav, the machines could not be operated for a long time due to a lack of manpower and management. He noted that services have now resumed following the availability of necessary technical staff, providing significant relief to patients in Jaleshwar and surrounding areas.

Dr. Shrivastav mentioned that preparations are underway to launch ICU, NICU, and digital health services in the near future. He emphasized that the support of staff, local residents, and relevant authorities is essential for expanding the hospital's services.

Speaking to Ratopati, Provincial Health Minister Jangilal Ray stated that the provincial government will provide full support for the expansion of the hospital's services.

Ministry Secretary Dr. Pramod Kumar Yadav stated that he has instructed staff to fulfill their assigned responsibilities with integrity and in a timely manner to ensure effective service delivery for patients.

Jaleshwar Municipality Mayor Suresh Sah Sonar recalled that previously, patients in Jaleshwar had to be referred to Janakpur or Kathmandu for dialysis, and expressed that having the service available locally is a major relief.

Previously, with no dialysis machines operational in the district, kidney patients were forced to travel to hospitals in Janakpur and beyond, causing a double burden of time and expense.

Vishnu Chaudhary of Jaleshwar Municipality Ward No. 2 shared that his 40-year-old wife, Nilam Chaudhary, requires dialysis twice a week due to kidney failure. According to him, for the past three years, he was forced to take his wife from Jaleshwar to Janakpur every Monday and Thursday for dialysis.

‘The travel costs, time, and other expenses were very exhausting. One dialysis session took at least four hours,’ he said, ‘I had to reach there early in the morning to get a turn. Now that the service has started in our own place, that hassle is gone.’

According to Chaudhary, initially, each dialysis session cost between 2,500 and 3,000 rupees. He mentioned that the service becomes free when carrying a recommendation letter from the local level or health office.

According to doctors, dialysis is necessary when kidneys have lost up to 90 percent of their functional capacity. The Government of Nepal provides dialysis services free of charge, which has provided further relief to economically disadvantaged patients.

According to Provincial Hospital Jaleshwar dialysis therapist Kishan Kumar Ray, the machine works by removing excess fluid and waste products from the body, purifying the blood with the help of a special solution, and returning it to the body.

He urged patients undergoing dialysis to regularly consume food, water, and medication, warning that negligence could increase the risk of further dialysis, malnutrition, kidney failure, and even death.

Currently, five kidney patients are in regular contact with Jaleshwar Hospital. With the start of the service, the patient load is expected to increase further.

Meanwhile, with the start of dialysis services, local residents have demanded the immediate operation of ICU services. Local youth Jirekhan Paswan stated that although the Madhesh government upgraded the hospital to a 100-bed facility, the inability to provide necessary manpower has hindered service expansion.

He said, ‘The start of dialysis service is a positive thing. Now, ICU services should also be operated soon to provide further relief to the people of this area.’

Although a five-bed ICU with ventilators was installed at the Provincial Hospital Jaleshwar during the COVID-19 period, it has not been able to come into operation due to a lack of manpower.

Currently, the hospital has only 15 permanent positions, while there are 50 temporary positions, the tenure of which needs to be extended every three months. The hospital administration complains that this is why there is a continuous problem in service expansion.

Local residents have expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the hospital, recalling its glorious history. 65-year-old Ramnath Sah of Jaleshwar Municipality Ward No. 6, Dhauli, said, ‘This hospital was very famous before. Kala-azar was treated well here. Patients even used to come from Bihar. Now, even though there is equipment, it is kept idle. The hospital has become a referral center.’

Janki Raman Yadav of Jaleshwar-2 questioned the gap between election promises and reality, saying, ‘During elections, the hospital is the first agenda of the leaders, but after winning, they forget everything. There is such a big building, but in the name of treatment, many services are still lacking.’

While the start of dialysis services at Jaleshwar Hospital, which has long carried the image of being neglected and a mere referral center, is positive, locals have emphasized the need to make the hospital fully equipped with services and to quickly operate ICU, NICU, and other specialized services.