According to hospital officials, dialysis treatment has been temporarily halted at STNM in Gangtok, Sikkim’s major government hospital, due to water contamination brought on by days of intense rain. The hospital’s reverse osmosis (RO) purification system, which is essential to dialysis treatments, malfunctioned Monday, causing the inconvenience. The problem was identified by hospital engineers as being caused by contaminants in the water supply that interfered with the filtration process.
In a public announcement, the hospital said, “Despite efforts, the engineers have not been able to restore it and have requested up to one week to make the system operational again.” Patients who depend on routine dialysis have been put in a challenging situation; many of them come from far-flung regions of Sikkim. Since STNM Hospital is the top hospital in the state for this kind of care, the sudden suspension has sparked questions about backup plans for critical medical services.
Patients’ families complained that there were no other options. Why the hospital lacks backup mechanisms for such vital care has been questioned by some. “Coming here for treatment each week is difficult enough. We are now being advised to look for alternative hospitals. “What if someone is unable to pay for it?” a patient’s family member said. The hospital has advised anyone who is impacted to seek care at neighboring district health centers that still have dialysis machines. In addition to apologizing for the inconvenience, authorities promised patients that they would be informed as soon as services were restored, which should happen by next week.
