Dialysis - Few Facts & Upcoming facilities

Till now, only S.S.K.M. Hospital, N.R.S. Medical College & Hospital and Sambhu Nath Pandit Hospital were the only Government run set ups offering haemo-dialysis.

Now R.G.Kar Medical College & Hospital is coming up with a dialysis unit of its own. It is expected to benefit the large number of patients attending this hospital.

Dialysis - some known / unknown facts

Dialysis is required by the patients of kidney failures. Temporary (usually) failure may occur from severe diarrhoea, vomiting (dehydration) or from snake bite with viper group of snakes.

Viper poisons result in breakage of the red blood cells, which get deposited in the filters of the kidney, resulting in severe impairment of the function. If not treated aggressively for the acute renal (kidney) failure, apart from the treatments for other toxic effects of the poison, it may be fatal.

Dialysis plays a crucial role in saving the lives of these patients, apart from other patients with kidney impairment.

What is Dialysis?

Our kidneys function to filter the blood, and thereby remove the toxic substances through urine.

If the function of the organ is impaired, blood can not be properly filtered, and toxic materials get accumulated in the body.

The toxic materials are mostly nitrogenous substances, which come from protein foods. Therefore, protein intake must be controlled under such circumstances.

Again our body runs perfectly only when a very complex harmony of the electrolytes or salts are maintained. In altered functions of the kidney, this harmony gets disrupted, and may have fatal outcome, commonly due to potassium imbalance. Even fruit juice, or fruits may become poisons.



In dialysis, the blood is artificially filtered.


In haemo-dialysis, the commonest form, the blood is taken out of the body through an access site. It is then passed through the machine, which filters the blood, and the filtered blood is returned back to the patient instantly.

Causes of Kidney Failure

There are several causes, and I have mentioned some of those for "temporary" but life threatening failures.

Irreversible damage may occur from several causes, but high blood pressure & diabetes are the major culprits. So, be careful to control your pressure and sugar levels. Excessive intake of "pain-killer" medicines may be dangerous as well.

What if the Government starts dialysis?

• Lower cost.
• Free "vascular access" (access to blood) , which is costly in private hospitals.
• Easier access and better affordability to larger number of people.
• Presence of highly qualified staff - usually the Govt. pays better and screens better .

Please keep posting your comments.

Heart Attack - Govt. comes to Help

A very well known but horrible name, but what to do in case of a heart attack?

Where to go?

Though there are many private establishments, they are usually expensive. Often people have come up with allegations of exploitation by some private hospitals.

But do you know, that 2 Government establishments in Kolkata are very well-equipped and have top class doctors???

The S.S.K.M. Hospital (P.G.), near Rabindra Sadan, has a big set up.

The state Government has unveiled a state-of-the-art set up at the R.G.Kar Medical College & Hospital (near Belgachhia / Shyambazar).

Both the hospitals have own "Institute of Cardio-Vascular Sciences" (ICVS). The 2.5 crore cath-lab at the R.G.Kar is a superb one, and is one of the best in the city (among Govt. and Private) .

The disadvantages include, the noisy and filthy way to enter the ICVS, which is common in any state run hospital... and the huge demand over the limited supply.

The I.C.V.S. in R.G.Kar does not allot floor admissions, and only bed admissions are allowed to maintain quality.

But the advantages include the much lower costs, and round the clock presence of experts.

Angiography, angioplasty or bypass surgery... everything is possibly at the I.C.V.S.

Presently, it was informed by the media that the S.S.K.M. hospital has come up with a FREE supply of a costly, live-saving medicine which is very commonly required.

S.S.K.M. has announced free supply to poor patients and initially to everyone, but the patients on paying bed would have to pay the charges later.

Hopefully, this effort will also reduce the alleged corruption involved with the expensive medicine - Streptokinase.

Follow-up options

In comparison to the usual pays of Rs.500/- that one has to pay to a consultant at a private hospital for follow-up consultations or so, in addition to the registration charges of the corporate hospital, the Govt. charges only Rs. 2/- (two) for 4 (four) visits, i.e. Only Rs.0.50 for each consultation... even for consultations with some of the best consultants in the city.

You need a bit more time (OPDs are open from 9am-2pm), but you pay 1000 TIMES LESS.

First the Government establishments, next Private establishments will be added.

First I am writing about the Government establishments, and their facilities.

Next I shall add the private sector and the private pracitioners.

Welcome to Health for Kolkata

Dear Reader,

Here I'm trying to provide you health related information from Kolkata and from other parts of West Bengal.
Though I am a doctor myself, and am trying to provide you the best known information possible, it is not possible for me to owe any legal or other responsibility for them.

The forum (blog) is open to you as well, and you may add your comments. That would possible serve more info to the readers.

Again, it is an effort to provide helpful information, but I take no legal / medico-legal nor other responsibility.