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| ‘The
need is so great’ "This is inadequate," explains Dr. Kamani Wanigasuriya, consultant physician of the unit. "Normally a patient with chronic renal failure requires two to three sessions a week, each session lasting for four hours but he has one session of dialysis for two weeks due to the lack of facilities." The new dialysis unit was the brainchild of Janet Gunasekera, the founder of the Kidney Patients' Welfare Society, which was started four years ago. The society's efforts to provide more opportunities for renal failure patients who couldn't afford dialysis treatment, was featured in The Sunday Times' 'Mediscene' in March. The new unit, though it still is to have an official opening has begun providing dialysis for patients free of charge because as Ms. Gunasekera says "the need is so great." Although the main focus of the unit is towards patients with acute renal failure or those who require urgent dialysis at the Kalubowila hospital, they also take in patients like Seneviratne who are chronic renal failure patients with acute symptoms. "Previously patients who were diagnosed with renal failure were sent to the Colombo hospital, because we didn't have the facilities at the Kalubowila hospital but now they can have dialysis here. We are starting small with two machines. Our attention is to the patients at the Kalubowila hospital, but with more funds we could expand our facilities and offer these services to other patients," stressed Dr. Wanigasuriya. With help from the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Australia that donated machines and a water treatment system, the unit was set up with the expertise of Janice Pickering, a senior Australian technician who works at the North West Dialysis Service of the same hospital along with Ayanthi Kulathileka, a nurse who works with patients there. "The situation for those who require dialysis is frightening. The biggest problem is water purification, and the inadequate number of machines. The other problem is awareness," adds Ms. Kulathileka who spent two weeks training the nurses who will work in the unit while Ms. Pickering showed them how to handle the machines. Local technicians were also trained in maintenance. They hope to establish a computer link later on where doctors, nurses or technicians who need information could communicate with staff in Australia. The unit has recliner dialysis chairs rather than beds, which Ms. Gunasekera points out with a smile saying, "I wanted the patients to have the best care as those who pay." These chairs designed by Tony Bournon were modelled on those used in blood banks, explains Ms. Pickering, "They have motorized legs and back, and can also be laid back in case the patient needs to be resuscitated." The chairs designed to offer comfort to the patient during four-hour dialysis sessions, also makes it easier for nurses preventing backaches from bending over. Even though the unit has two machines, only one patient has been receiving dialysis each day. "The nurses are just starting out. Once they become more familiar within a few weeks we could increase the frequency and have two patients a day. But we need more funds to develop this project, to help more people who can't afford such treatment," explains Dr. Wanigasuriya. "This should be a top national priority. We would like to be in a position to offer these services to more people once we have more machines, and a bigger water treatment system. To do all this we require funds adds Dr. Wanigasuriya. Long-term diabetes, hypertension, glomerulo nephritis, and kidney stone disease are among the contributing factors to renal disease. However, there is a lack of awareness and some of the contributing factors to renal failure in the country still remain unknown. " It's not a glamorous disease," points out Ms. Pickering. "People don't talk about it an awful lot because they don't get better. It is something that they have to live with for the rest of their lives." Contributions |
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