26 October,2020 07:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Arita Sarkar
The dialysis centre at the jumbo COVID centre at MMRDA grounds in BKC
Among the growing number of COVID patients opting to be treated at home, those who need dialysis too have had limited avenues amid the pandemic. Addressing this need, jumbo centres in BKC and Goregaon set up dialysis units on an out-patient basis earlier this month for COVID patients needing the treatment.
The MMRDA COVID centre at BKC has 18 dialysis machines, of which six are earmarked for critical patients and the NESCO centre in Goregaon has 10 machines. The aim is to reduce the transfer of admitted COVID patients at the centre to other hospitals. "Earlier, patients who had severe symptoms or needed dialysis had to be transferred to other hospitals. We have arranged for a dialysis unit and for high-end ventilators to treat serious patients as well. So far, four patients have undergone dialysis," said Dr Neelam Andrade, who heads the NESCO centre. She added that each machine is used for a four-hour session and can handle up to 30 patients every day.
Dr Andrade pointed out that she has seen a decline in the number of patients admitted to NESCO centre and that the machines would be helpful for people in home isolation. "There are fewer COVID patients needing hospitalisation and many are being treated at home. Any COVID patient accompanied by his or her physician who is aware of the medical history can come here for a dialysis session. We can increase the capacity if needed," she said.
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The NESCO centre also has eight high-end ventilators along with 77 portable ventilators. Dr Andrade said that she has put in a request for 10 more ventilators from other peripheral hospitals that are no longer being used for COVID treatment.
The NESCO centre will be open to all COVID patients needing dialysis soon. Dr Rajesh Dere, dean of the jumbo centre at BKC said that they opened the dialysis unit to all COVID patients in the first week of October on OPD basis and have seen a moderate response. "We have a 12-bed dialysis unit and six beds as part of the ICU. So far, we have used the dialysis machines for 72 patients on OPD basis. The service is free and in total, 332 COVID patients have undergone dialysis," he said.
Currently, around 11,000 asymptomatic COVID patients in the city are under home isolation along with around 7,000 patients who are symptomatic but not critical.
Eighteen
No. of dialysis units at the BKC COVID Care Centre
332
No. of COVID patients who underwent dialysis at BKC centre
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