A hemodialysis machine is seen in this file photo. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — Dialysis patients infected with COVID-19 are failing to receive treatment as they wait for hospital beds.
Oh Hyeon-ju (alias), a 41-year-old office worker, said her father has been receiving dialysis treatment three times every week after he was diagnosed with kidney disorder in September of last year.
When he tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 2, however, he was prevented from getting his dialysis treatment two consecutive times as he had to wait at home for three days until a hospital bed became available.
“I was terrified not because of COVID-19, but because my dad couldn’t get his dialysis,” Oh said.
Kim So-hee (alias), a 43-year-old resident, also said his father, who has been undergoing dialysis treatment for longer than 30 years, was sent home after he tested positive for COVID-19.
“It didn’t make any sense,” Kim said. “Telling a dialysis patient to wait at home is the same thing as a death sentence.”
Kidney failure patients can suffer from edema or breathing difficulties, and a lack of dialysis treatment can put them at serious risk.
“There need to be specialized hospitals dedicated to dialysis treatment with expert staff,” said Dr. Lee Young-ki, a professor of nephrology at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital.
Currently, there are only 11 hospitals with negative pressure hospital beds that are capable of dialysis treatment.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
