Peritoneal dialysis has been done in India for the past 12 years, but there is a lack of awareness about the procedure.
In 2002, when Mohammad Nausad, 21, was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Failure (ESRD), the college student almost gave up hope of a normal life. “I had to go to the hospital for dialysis thrice a week. Each dialysis session lasted four hours, and drained a lot of my energy as well as my family’s finances. I had to give up studies,” said Nausad.
After a year of endless trips to the hospital, Nausad’s doctor advised him to try peritoneal dialysis, which could be done at home. “I have been doing the procedure at home for a year and three months now, and my life is as close to normal as it can possibly get,” said Nausad, a Kolkata-based patient, who has come to the Home Dialysis Care Center (HDCC) at Central Railway Hospital in Byculla for a check-up.
Besides kidney transplant, dialysis is the only treatment for ESRD. Hemodialysis, done only in hospitals, involves the patient being attached to a machine, which cleanses the blood. “Peritoneal dialysis involves putting a special liquid into the abdomen to cleanse the blood,” explained Zuleikha Mogul, team leader, HDCC.
“The peritoneal dialysis fluid is put into the abdominal cavity through a tube. The fluid cleanses the blood in eight hours. Then, the fluid is drained out, and the procedure is repeated. Peritoneal dialysis has to be done thrice a day, and each exchange lasts 20 minutes,” said Anna Solomon, HDCC nurse.
“Haemodialysis, costing about Rs20,000 per month, is good but inconvenient for working people,” said Dr Viswanath Billa, consultant nephrologist and kidney transplant physician at Bombay Hospital. “At Rs17,000, peritoneal dialysis is not cheap, but is simpler and gives the patient freedom to work. This is very important as dialysis is a huge drain on one’s finances,” explained Dr Billa.
Peritoneal dialysis has been done in India for the past 12 years, but there is a lack of awareness about the procedure. Dr Billa, who is associated with the Nana Palkar Smiriti Samiti, a charitable trust, is organising a workshop on Sunday on this form of dialysis. “The aim is to help patients, particularly the earning members from the middle class, so that they can lead a normal life,” said Dr Billa.
For workshop details, contact Nana Palkar Smiriti Samiti on phone no. 24186724.
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