Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital on Saturday stated that as of September 1, they are offering dialysis sessions at a subsidized cost to $12,000 per session.
“We have decided to offer this because there is an increasing need for dialysis in Guyana, and there is an even greater need for dialysis to be done under adequate supervision which is done by our in house nephrologist,” the hospital revealed in a press statement.
The dialysis centre at the private hospital is open Monday to Saturday 7:00hrs to 19:00hrs and will soon be offering a Sunday clinic to accommodate more patients.
Chief Executive Officer Dr Madhu Singh said the resident Nephrologist, Dr. Justo Tamayo Velazquez has been in Guyana for over one year and oversees dialysis as well as does routine checks on dialysis patients.
Dr. Velazquez has more than 25 years of experience in Nephrology with several years of teaching experience, the statement noted.
He has also served as the President of the Board for the Nephrology specialists in Cuba.
According to the hospital, Dr. Velazquez noted that renal failure in Guyana is high because of the extremely high prevalence of chronic diseases such as Diabetes and Hypertension.
“Patients need to be educated in the risks of not taking their medications and making lifestyle changes. Early diagnosis and treatment of renal impairment is essential to a good outcome. Prevention of chronic diseases such as Diabetes is better than dealing with the complication,” Dr Velazquez added.
Hemodialysis is a treatment that filters and purifies the blood using a machine. Dialysis keeps the fluid and different molecules and ions in your blood in balance when your kidneys cannot carry out this process efficiently.
Most patients on dialysis have sessions done about two-three times per week, in order to maintain a good fluid and electrolyte balance. The dialysis treatment process is not standard and it is often tailored to a patient’s needs in order to maintain fluid levels and other parameters within the desired ranges.
Dr Balwant Singh’s Hospital was the first hospital to introduce this service in 2010. Currently, the centre has five machines and will be expanding to eight more within the next month.
