The State government’s ambitious Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) project that aims to provide treatment to patients suffering from kidney failure without affecting their day-to-day activities seems to have hit a roadblock.
Over the past one-and-a-half years since the pilot project was launched, 60 patients underwent the procedure and got a catheter inserted in their abdomen and manage the treatment by themselves.
Umesh L., Professor and Head of the Department of Urology, Institute of Nephro Urology, said that they get a lot of queries for CAPD, as it eliminates frequent visits to the hospital. Despite a report recommending expansion of the project, the government is yet to decide on the same.
Seetharamaiah (52), an autorickshaw driver, explained why he prefers peritoneal dialysis over haemodialysis.
“I am the breadwinner of the family. If I undergo haemodialysis, I have to visit the hospital and stay there for several hours thrice a week. With peritoneal dialysis, I only have to fill my abdomen with fluid and change the pack thrice a day.”
Srikanth N. from Gadag said that the project has been of immense help to his 13-year-old daughter as it does not involve disruption of her daily activities. “She goes to school every day and leads a normal life. All we have to do is to change the bag once a day,” he said. Another benefit under CAPD is the financial assistance offered to patients (65 per cent of the cost) by the State government. M. Lakshminarayana, Secretary, Medical Education Department, said that the State government wants to carry out an in-depth study about the benefits of the project before taking a decision on expansion.
A catheter is inserted in the abdomen and filled with fluid. The patient has to drain the fluid twice or thrice a day, and has to go for a check-up once a month. So far, 62 patients have undergone CAPD in K.C. General Hospital, Wenlock Hospital and Institute of Nephro Urology.
The procedure is free for Below Poverty Line (BPL) patients. Above Poverty Line (APL) patients have to pay Rs. 7,000.
In hospitals run by the Health Department, patients get the fluid for free. APL patients undergoing treatment in the Institute of Nephro Urology have to pay around Rs. 6,200 per month.
