SRI LANKA: Urgent need for new machines at the Anuradhapura Hospital Dialyses Unit 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to bring to your attention a situation which is ongoing at the Anuradhapura Hospital Dialyses Unit.  In an article that appeared in the Daily Mirror on 5 January 2006 entitled ‘Dialysis machine is old say Medical Specialists’, the author, Wijitha Kumarasiri, reported on the appalling situation in the Dialyses Unit where the machines, vital for the treatment of patients suffering from renal failure, were breaking down and their repair and replacement was being delayed.

The board responsible for purchasing replacement dialyses machines wants to contact a supplier who is able to provide older machines.  However, specialists at the Unit have made representations to the governor of the North Central Province, Jagath Balasuriya, to halt the purchase of two dialysis machines as there are already three such machines at the unit and one of them, having broken down, is still awaiting repair by the supplier.  Quite obviously they stand to make more money selling replacement machines rather than repairing old ones and in the meantime it is the patients who are suffering.

There are few choices for patients suffering chronic or acute renal failure.  The fastest road to an almost complete recovery is a transplant.  This, however, is costly, even where possible, and out of the financial reach of all but the rich.  The next less intrusive treatment is peritoneal dialyses but this is also expensive, costing as much as Rs. 48,000= a month unless the cost of the dialyses fluid is subsidised.  The last solution, and the one open to most patients, is to attend a dialyses unit where machines are used.  These machines can be purchased privately and used at home, but at a cost of approximately USD 4,000.00, dialyses units are the only last hope for many.

The Anuradhapura Hospital Dialyses Unit handles 500 patients suffering from chronic, (long term) renal failure in addition to other patients suffering from acute renal failure, an ailment which may be of shorter duration but which is extremely severe.  In either form, renal failure is deadly and it is vital for the well-being of the patients of the Anuradhapura Hospital Dialyses Unit that there are sufficient machines available in good working order.

Owing to the seriousness of this matter, and the urgency required in providing new diaslyses machines to the Anuradhapura Hospital, we ask that you intervene immediately by writing to the President of Sri Lanka, the Hon. Mr Mahinda Rajapakse and the Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission, Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy requesting their urgent action. Please ask that the machines required for the dialyses unit are new and not older ones that may be susceptible to problems. Please highlight that without these machines, many suffers of renal failure, particularly those without the financial means to access better facilities, will no doubt find their condition worsen and this may even result in death.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission
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