RCB Donates Dialysis Machines

ON OCTOBER 8TH, 2020, THE ROTARY CLUB OF BOMBAY HELD THE VIRTUAL INAUGURATION OF THREE B. BRAUN HAEMODIALYSIS MACHINE AT SHATABDI HOSPITAL, GOVANDI (REHBAR FOUNDATION) AND FOUR FRESENIUS KABI HAEMODIALYSIS MACHINES AT AASTHA HOSPITAL, MANOR, PALGHAR.

RCB’s Chief Guest for the event was TRF Trustee Gulam Vahanvaty and the other Guests of Honour were PDG Bal Inamdar, PDG DRFC Ajay Gupta, DGN Sandip Agarwalla, Past President of Rotary Club of Palghar Rtn. Bhagwan Patil, President of Rotary Club of Mumbai Western Elite Rtn. Dinesh Khemka, Rehbar Foundation Trustee Ms. Sana Shaik, Dr. Avinash Sonawane of Aastha Hospital, RCB President Framroze Mehta, RCB PP Vijay Jatia, Rtn. Samir Mogul & Rtn. Swati Jajodia.

We learnt that many patients undergoing regular dialysis treatment were unable to travel long distances to faraway hospitals in these trying times and were suffering due to the unavailability of essential, life-saving, medical services close to their home. That’s when our Club decided to donate dialysis machines to hospitals in areas where this facility was scarce or not available.

At the peak of the pandemic, Ms. Sana Shaik, Trustee of Rehbar Foundation contacted DGN Sandip Agarwalla to provide additional dialysis machines for their centre at Shatabdi Hospital to cope with the influx of patients. Immediate action was taken and three dialysis machines were provided.

At the same time, Aastha Hospital at Palghar too faced a similar challenge and when RCB was approached by PP Rotary Club of Palghar Rtn. Bhagwan Patil we immediately donated four dialysis machines and thus the RCB Dialysis Centre was founded at Palghar. We believe this endeavour will serve the needy and save several lives.

Shatabdi Hospital previously had seven dialysis machines which enabled 28 dialysis per day. The increase of the machines to 10, facilitates 40 dialysis per day. Currently, the hospital has 61 patients is inviting new patients for dialysis; the number of patients is expected to increase to 80.

Aastha Hospital which had just one dialysis machine to begin with, was donated one machine by RCB in March followed by the donation of an additional three dialysis machines by the Club in the following months increasing the total number of dialysis being performed from two to 10 per day.

Through word of mouth, new patients have started to avail the benefits of the fully operational dialysis centre.

At the event, eminent guests spoke about the need to generate awareness with respect to kidney failure and its treatment which in turn would also motivate people to donate money and support charitable establishments working for the cause. There was also consensus amongst those present that the pandemic has raised awareness about the need of life saving facilities and that all clubs should work together to create such centres to help the needy.