Plea for filling up posts of dialysis technicians

MADURAI

A law student has moved the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the State to upgrade and install new dialysis units in all government taluk hospitals. He also sought a direction to fill up existing vacancies in the post of dialysis technicians.

In his petition, K. Pushpavanam of Madurai, a second-year law student, said as per the guidelines for dialysis centre published by the Directorate General of Health Services, each dialysis machine should be handled by a qualified technician.

In Tamil Nadu, there were only seven technicians appointed on temporary basis. Due to lack of technicians in government hospitals, staff nurses and students of dialysis technician course were handling the machines, he said.

Handling of dialysis machines without proper qualification was a threat to the lives of patients. He said in 2014, nearly 20 patients were infected with Hepatitis C virus after undergoing dialysis at Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai.

Therefore, steps must be taken to upgrade and install new dialysis units at government taluk hospitals and appoint adequate dialysis technicians, he said. A Division Bench of Justices M. Duraiswamy and T. Ravindran ordered notice to the State and adjourned the hearing.