Impact of Covid 19 on patients suffering from chronic kidney diseases

Jaipur, March 9 2022: Though Covid 19 is gradually waning out of our lives, the pandemic of a large wavelength had immensely impacted and changed our lives in the past two years especially the treatment of non-communicable diseases.

On the occasion of World Kidney Day, Dr Rajesh Kumar Garsa and Dr Sandeep Gupta, share their story on becoming the first ones to restart the kidney transplant program in Rajasthan post the first covid wave.

Dr Rajesh Garsa, Senior Consultant, Nephrology & Kidney Transplant at Fortis Jaipur, shares, "During the Covid era, the patients visiting the hospital for dialysis could have been easily exposed to the infection since they were already immuno-compromised. To avoid this, we had to educate all the patients to follow all the precautions. Even then if a patient was tested covid positive, the hospital  had arranged a separate unit where all necessary arrangements were done for the patient to undergo dialysis keeping the staff's safety in mind."

Not just this, the patients who needed a kidney transplant had to wait to long, as during the peak of the first wave of Covid, all the elective surgeries were temporarily suspended by the hospitals. Dr Sandeep Gupta, Additional Director, Urology & Kidney Transplant at Fortis Jaipur, explains, "The patients who wanted to undergo a transplant faced major difficulties during this period and even we as doctors were initially hesitant, as post kidney transplants, the patient is administered immunosuppressant’s, which also increases the risk of covid and other related health complications."

It was after the first covid wave that Dr. Garsa and Dr. Gupta started performing kidney transplants, keeping all the necessary precautions in mind. Dr. Garsa reveals further, "We conducted double Covid tests and CT-scan of the chest, so that there's not even the slightest risk of the patient contracting Covid. We had a specified staff in the isolated area where such patients were admitted to prevent the spread of the infection." 

Doctors further shared that they did around 25 transplants during the Covid period, where 3-4 patients had contracted Covid but recovered later. Every month we did approximately 500-600 dialysis, most of these patients were above 60 years of age and many were diabetic and dialysis was crucial for their survival."

About Fortis Healthcare Limited

Fortis Healthcare Limited – an IHH Healthcare Berhad Company – is a leading integrated healthcare services provider in India. It is one of the largest healthcare organizations in the country with 27 healthcare facilities (including projects under development), 4100 operational beds and over 419 diagnostics centres (including JVs). Fortis is present in India, United Arab Emirates (UAE) & Sri Lanka. The Company is listed on the BSE Ltd and National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India. It draws strength from its partnership with global major and parent company, IHH, to build upon its culture of world-class patient care and superlative clinical excellence. Fortis employs 23,000 people (including SRL) who share its vision of becoming the world’s most trusted healthcare network. Fortis offers a full spectrum of integrated healthcare services ranging from clinics to quaternary care facilities and a wide range of ancillary services.