Hyderabad: Infection scare in Aarogyasri Healthcare Trust
Fistula is covered under Aarogyasri only once and if it fails then the patient has to pay for it the second time.
Hyderabad: Fistula failures and infection of catheters are common complaints among patients undergoing dialysis under Aarogyasri. More than 50 patients have complained of severe infections in the last six months to the Aarogyasri Healthcare Trust. Fistula is constructed for all chronic kidney disease patients as it helps to connect the arteries to the veins and helps purify blood effectively through the dialyser.
Fistula is covered under Aarogyasri only once and if it fails then the patient has to pay for it the second time. The charges range from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 per patient.
A senior doctor at a government hospital said, “Many patients are coming at the end-stage and for them the catheter procedure is used. Here the catheter is passed through jugular access and dialysis is done. But the problem is that technicians and doctors who are handling these equipment are not following hygiene protocols properly. This leads to infections and patients have to be treated with heavy dosage of antibiotics.”
Thirty-five patients have complained of failure in fistula and 15 patients have complained of catheter infections to the Aarogyasri department.
Mr Mujtaba Hasan Askari, who has filed the complaint on their behalf, said, “There are no proper vascular surgeons to carry out the procedure of fistula. If it is done properly, the failures can be brought down. But both in Gandhi and Osmania General Hospitals, there is no dedicated team of vascular surgeons for kidney dialysis patients.”
According to a recent analysis, there are 80 per cent failures in government hospitals in both these cases as dialysis technicians, nurses and surgeons are not handling these patients carefully. A senior nephrologist in a government hospital said, “Maximum hygiene is required in dealing with kidney patients at the hospital and also at home. Patients also need to be counseled that while having a bath they must take care of the area where the catheter or fistula is made. But these protocols are not followed properly.”