Maharashtra govt to formulate guidelines for dialysis centres

Maharashtra government is in the process of formulating a new policy for dialysis centres, the guidelines of which will need to be strictly adhered to.

The move comes after number of complaints of patients being treated carelessly at such centres came to light.

According to state Health Minister Deepak Sawant, the new policy for dialysis centres will be ready within the next three months.

"The first meeting on framing the guidelines was held yesterday. We were periodically receiving complaints that patients are being handled carelessly by dialysis centres," Sawant told PTI.

"The policy will be formulated and implemented within the next three months," he said.

Sawant said one of the major guideline for the centres will be to restrict the number of dialysis to three in a day.

"There were also complaints of lack of basic standard parameters at dialysis centres. Thus, we thought there should be a monitoring mechanism to control dialysis centres in the favour of patients," the minister said.

The health department, taking sou motu cognisance of the troubles being faced by patients, thus decided to formulate a policy, he said.

Though there are a sizable number of patients, the number of nephrologists is only about 1,400 and the technical staff is even lesser in number, he pointed out.

"There is a need to increase the number of technical staff, but before that the numbers of nephorologists have to be increased," Sawant said.

"While providing good service to a patient, the atmosphere and the standard parameters should be followed by these centres. At present, a centre handles more than three patients in a day and the standard time to do dialysis of a patient is 3.30 hours. But many a times, each patient does not get more than two-and-half hours," he said.

Therefore, the health department will limit the number of patients being treated at a particular centre in a day.

"The guideline will also limit the use of a dialyser for a specific period of time," Sawant added.