The hardships of a kidney dialysis patient's life.

Updated on: 06/01/2024 05:03:29

DTO - People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are battling the disease every day, and many patients are in extremely difficult circumstances.

Doctors at Sa Dec General Hospital check on the patient's hemodialysis process.

LIVES DEPENDED ON MACHINES

Life for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is very harsh. Because the kidneys no longer function to excrete waste, waste products accumulate in the body, leading to damage to other organs such as the heart, lungs, nervous system, and digestive system, and can even be fatal. Therefore, to maintain life, there is no other option but hemodialysis or kidney transplantation.

The Hemodialysis Unit at Sa Dec General Hospital performs hemodialysis on approximately 40 patients at a time, ranging in age from 20 to over 60 years old. These patients come from various localities, are of different ages, and have diverse economic backgrounds, but they all share one thing in common: they rely on the machine for survival. Patient Ngo Minh Tri (from Tan Phu Trung commune, Chau Thanh district) is only 29 years old but has been receiving hemodialysis at the hospital for six years. Previously, Mr. Tri worked as a driver. When he experienced symptoms of loss of appetite and fatigue, he went to the doctor and learned he had early-stage kidney failure. Over time, his condition worsened, and he now requires periodic dialysis. “Currently, I receive hemodialysis three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. My family are farmers, and we are in difficult circumstances; the monthly travel cost for dialysis is over 2 million VND. Since starting dialysis, I can no longer work,” Minh Tri shared. Suffering from STM and CTNT, Ms. Pham Thi My Hop (36 years old), residing in Long Hung B commune, Lap Vo district, recounted: “I got sick 8 years ago. My family life is difficult; my husband passed away, and I work alone to support my two young children. Since getting sick, I don't have as much work as before. On days when I'm too tired after dialysis, I take a break, and the next day when I feel better, I go back to work.”

Also suffering from end-stage renal disease (ESD), Mr. Nguyen Hong Ky (35 years old), residing in Tan My commune, Thanh Binh district, faces many difficulties. Due to his dialysis schedule being arranged three times a week, his home being far away, and the high travel costs, he chose to rent a room to live in while waiting for his scheduled dialysis sessions at Dong Thap General Hospital. Besides dialysis, he sells lottery tickets to earn money to cover his living expenses. Mr. Hong Ky confided: “Previously, I worked in Binh Duong. Initially, I had a fever and felt tired, so I went to the hospital for examination. The doctor diagnosed me with ESD. At first, I couldn't register for regular dialysis, so I had to go to Tam Tri Hospital for emergency treatment. Two months later, Dong Thap General Hospital accepted me for regular dialysis, and I've been doing it for almost eight years now. Currently, I have dialysis three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I'm renting a room in Cao Laanh City for dialysis and selling lottery tickets to make ends meet.”

The above are just a few cases of patients undergoing CT scans at medical facilities and hospitals in Dong Thap province; most of these patients are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Dong Thap General Hospital has increased its dialysis schedule to 3 shifts per day, but it still cannot meet the dialysis needs of patients.

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES STEP BY STEP

According to statistics from the Dong Thap Department of Health, the number of patients requiring hemodialysis is increasing, with over 1,331 patients. However, the provincial health sector currently only meets about 50% of the patients' needs. At the Hemodialysis Unit of Dong Thap General Hospital, operations run continuously from Monday to Saturday every week, with a nearly full schedule of dialysis sessions, and three hemodialysis teams working daily. This poses a significant challenge in meeting the healthcare needs of the local population.

Dr. Bui Ngoc Thanh, Head of the Intensive Care and Toxicology Department at Dong Thap General Hospital, shared: “Dong Thap General Hospital is currently providing regular dialysis for 152 patients. In addition, there are still 140 patients waiting for dialysis machines, so we can only meet about 50% of the demand at the moment. Furthermore, dozens of new patients require emergency dialysis each day. The hospital currently has 30 beds with 28 machines in operation, divided into 3 shifts for dialysis from 7 am to 8 pm. To combat overcrowding, the hospital has requested the purchase of additional machines.”

At Sa Dec General Hospital, there is also an overload of dialysis patients. Dr. Ngo Van Thuyen, Deputy Director of Sa Dec General Hospital, said: “The hospital's Hemodialysis Unit only has 40 beds and 2 RO systems supplying water to the dialysis machines; dialysis is performed 6 days a week, with 2-3 sessions per day for a total of 186 patients. The hospital's Hemodialysis Unit only meets about 10% of the dialysis needs of patients residing in Sa Dec City and the southern districts of the Tien River. Therefore, the hospital needs to invest in more machines so that local people do not have to travel long distances and incur additional travel costs.”

Currently, Dong Thap province has 7 units qualified for hemodialysis, including: Dong Thap General Hospital, Sa Dec General Hospital, Hong Nguy Regional General Hospital, Thap Muoi Regional General Hospital, Military-Civilian Hospital, Lap Vo District Health Center, and Tam Tri Dong Thap Hospital, with a total of 144 dialysis machines. These units can only provide hemodialysis for 685 patients out of a total of 1,331 patients requiring hemodialysis. Therefore, some units have to operate 3 shifts per day, but still cannot meet the growing demand for dialysis.

Besides difficulties regarding infrastructure, hospital beds, CT scanners, and medical equipment, the shortage of medical personnel and specialist doctors in the field of CT is also a major challenge. According to the Dong Thap Department of Health, there are currently only 14 doctors and 47 nurses with specialized training certificates in the technical services of kidney and urinary tract diseases in this field.

In addition to the aforementioned difficulties, the cost of treatment for terminally ill patients is quite high, not including out-of-pocket expenses, causing significant hardship for patients. Therefore, many patients hope that the government will have specific policies to create favorable conditions for terminally ill patients and those suffering from other serious illnesses.

Dr. Le Hoang Hieu, Deputy Head of the Intensive Care and Toxicology Department at Sa Dec General Hospital, said: “End-stage renal disease (RDD) is very serious. It is often detected at stages 4-5, making treatment very difficult. At this stage, kidney function is lost by over 90%, so patients can no longer eliminate excess salt and water. If left untreated, it can lead to heart failure, pulmonary edema, and even death. Therefore, RDD patients must be diagnosed and treated promptly.”

Faced with the overwhelming number of hemodialysis patients, the provincial health sector has decided to establish a project to expand hemodialysis units to meet the demand of patients requiring dialysis and to invest in hemodialysis equipment. In addition, the Department of Health has directed hemodialysis units to increase staffing and ensure sufficient shifts to serve patients; strengthen training and professional development for personnel; and continue researching hemodialysis solutions to help patients access advanced techniques and reduce travel costs. Furthermore, the health sector is mobilizing financial resources from the budget and social contributions to upgrade the hemodialysis system in the future.

Several hospitals have proactively developed joint venture projects to install additional hemodialysis machines for patients. The implementation involves collaborating with private healthcare providers to deploy hemodialysis techniques and further promoting the socialization of healthcare, investing in the development of more advanced equipment to better serve hemodialysis patients. Dr. Ngo Van Thuyen, Deputy Director of Sa Dec General Hospital, stated: “The hospital is currently submitting a proposal to the relevant authorities for approval of a joint venture project to install 20 additional hemodialysis machines to serve approximately 80 patients. We hope that this investment will fundamentally address the current overcrowding of patients requiring hemodialysis.”

SILVER RIVER

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