GP Koirala National Center for Respiratory Diseases starts dialysis services

TANAHU: Minister for Health and Population Pradip Paudel inaugurated the dialysis services at the GP Koirala Center for Respiratory Diseases at Belchautara of Shuklagandaki Municipality-5 today.

The service has been started in collaboration with Lions Club International 325 L. Seven devices have been installed at the treatment centre. The trial carried out using three dialysis machines has been successful before this.

On the occasion, the Health Minister said that 25 per cent of the due amount for the health insurance would be paid within a week. “The due amount of the health insurance for the month of Baisakh has already been paid excepting a few instances. Now the payment would be made till the month of Saun (August 15),” he said.

The Health Minister shared that the government is moving ahead with the goal of expanding heart treatment services and expanding cancer and kidney transplant work to all seven provinces. He added that works have been initiated to complete all these initiatives within this fiscal year.

With the availability of dialysis service at the GP Koirala National Center for Respiratory Diseases, kidney patients will not have to go elsewhere for treatment.

Speaking on the occasion, Center’s Executive Director Dr Ram Kumar Shrestha said, “We are going to run one shift in the first phase. They can serve five people daily. Four nurses have already been trained to conduct dialysis.”

The government had decided to set up a national-level respiratory diseases treatment centre named after former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and develop it as the best respiratory treatment centre in South Asia.

The hospital is providing orthopaedic, neurology, general surgery and internal medicine services from specialist doctors. Apart from this, the hospital has also started culture service some time ago. The hospital is providing OPD services, round-the-clock emergency services, lab, video X-ray service and minor operation. It has also started respiratory treatment services.

More than 250 patients come to the hospital daily for treatment. Of these, 40-50 patients are found suffering from respiratory problems, according to the hospital.