Kidney patients suffer as Magura 250-bed Hospital lacks services

Selim Reza, a middle-aged man hailing from the Nanduali area of Magura town, has been battling kidney complications for the past five years. Each week, he embarks on an arduous journey to Faridpur, a neighbouring city, to receive the life-sustaining dialysis treatment he desperately needs.

The cost is staggering, amounting to Tk 8,000 per dialysis, leaving Selim burdened with an accumulated expense of over Tk 3 million over the years. To bear the financial weight, he had to part with his most cherished possession- his property.

Magura district, located in south-western Bangladesh, has witnessed a concerning surge in the number of kidney patients in recent years.

The prevalence of kidney complications has surpassed even the most pessimistic projections, according to doctors. They said around 300 individuals require regular dialysis to sustain their lives.

Yet, despite being a key public healthcare facility in the region, Magura 250-Bed Hospital remains incapable of catering to the urgent needs of its own community since the healthcare facility has neither a nephrology department nor a dedicated dialysis centre.

Another kidney patient, Lily Begum, from Viana area in Magura town, said doctors have suggested that she undergo dialysis support twice a week.

Since there is no dialysis centre at the 250-bed Magura Hospital, she has to travel to Jashore for dialysis. Each trip costs her Tk 7000, including ambulance charges.

Requesting anonymity, a doctor from the Magura 250-bed hospital said, "Our duty is confined to diagnosing kidney patients only. We can't do more than that because the hospital doesn't have a nephrologist or a dialysis centre."

"Every day, 20 to 25 kidney patients come to the hospital, but they leave with broken hearts, unable to receive treatment. In this situation, brokers take advantage of the kidney patients. They target those seeking dialysis from the hospital and direct them to specific dialysis centres in Faridpur and Jashore in exchange for a high commission," added the physician.

Contacted, Dr ASM Maruf Hasan, superintendent of Magura 250-bed hospital, admitted the lack of a nephrologist and a dialysis centre at the hospital.

He mentioned that the construction of a dialysis centre is currently underway, and the hospital will soon have a nephrologist and a dialysis facility available.

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