Kidney dialysis services for 276 patients at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) face potential disruption following the expiration of a decade-long contract with an Indian company operating the hospital’s dialysis centre on November 29. The lack of a confirmed interim plan to maintain uninterrupted treatment has raised concerns among patients and healthcare officials.

The dialysis centre, known as Sandor, has been functioning since March 2017 under a public-private partnership. It currently operates 31 dialysis machines—20 negative-pressure and seven positive-pressure—and employs 45 staff members, including doctors and technicians. Patients typically pay a subsidized fee of 621 taka per session, while the government covers the remaining costs. Over the years, the session fee has increased from 2,190 taka to 3,397 taka.

CMCH Director Brigadier General Mohammad Taslim Uddin stated that the government is procuring new dialysis machines to establish a fully government-operated facility. However, the installation and commissioning of the new equipment, along with necessary staff training and infrastructure upgrades, are not expected to be completed until February or March 2027. This timeline creates a potential three- to four-month gap during which currently serviced patients may lack access to affordable dialysis at CMCH.

Taslim acknowledged that patients would need to seek treatment elsewhere during this interim period. However, many government-subsidized patients lack the resources for private dialysis services, which can cost approximately 45,000 taka monthly for two sessions a week and escalate to 60,000 taka for thrice-weekly treatment. Several patients who rely on positive-pressure machines—available only in select facilities in the region—expressed particular anxiety about their ability to continue treatment outside the government centre.

Sandor Assistant Manager Taief Rahman confirmed the company had offered to reduce the session fee from 3,397 taka to 2,800 taka, but no formal decision regarding contract renewal has been communicated. Patients like 60-year-old Nargis Begum, whose son works as a day labourer, face financial hardship and fear losing access to affordable care. Others, such as Muhammad Rakibul Hossain, Manatpia Das, Sabina Yasmin, and Sakia Begum, expressed concerns over their ability to maintain consistent treatment for themselves or family members during the transition.

While the health ministry has directed procurement of 31 new dialysis machines for CMCH and an additional 60 machines for the National Institute of Kidney Diseases and Urology in Dhaka, equipment acquisition alone does not guarantee seamless service continuity. Installation, commissioning, staffing, and infrastructure readiness remain significant challenges.

As the contract’s expiration approaches, hospital officials and the government have yet to finalize an effective strategy to bridge the impending treatment gap. The immediate priority is to ensure that patients dependent on frequent dialysis sessions do not miss critical care or face prohibitive costs in the months ahead.