Being away from home for medical treatment, and leaving children behind can be overwhelming. In Trashigang, the hospital doesn’t have a dialysis machine. So, patients have to travel to the Monggar Regional Referral Hospital for extended periods. For instance, a patient has been staying at the Monggar Hospital’s guest house for eight years with her husband. Meanwhile, their six-year-old daughter stays with a relative and their 19-year-old visually impaired son remains alone at home in Bidung Gewog’s Saling village in Trashigang.
48-year-old Tshering Choden and her husband Tenzin Zangpo have returned home to see their six-year-old daughter and 19-year-old visually impaired son.
They have four children, including one who is a student and another who lives in Thimphu.
Tshering and Tenzin manage to stay with their children for just one or two days before travelling back to Monggar for dialysis twice a week.
The journey from their village to Monggar which is about 130 kilometers is costly. As a result, they visit their home only once or twice a month. They stay at the Monggar Hospital guest house leaving their children with relatives.
Tenzin, who has been escorting his wife to the hospital struggles to balance caregiving with work to cover daily expenses.
“If we have a morning dialysis appointment, we have to leave home around 10 PM and travel for two to three hours to get there. If we don’t stick to the schedule, we are worried the patient might suffer serious complications or even die. Missed or delayed dialysis can cause swelling and breathing problems. Sometimes, when we leave, our children might be left without food. I ask relatives to make sure they get something to eat.”
Like Tshering Choden and her family, many dialysis patients at the Monggar Regional Referral Hospital have their own challenges and worries.
“It’s not convenient for my wife to come here as my attendant because we have small children in the village. She needs to send them to school, take care of them and worry about the house. So, I stay here alone. When I go for dialysis, sometimes I don’t feel sick but other times I experience headaches and dizziness. In these moments, I rely on friends to help me get food,” said Tashi Wangdi, Merak Gewog.
“Without enough money, it’s difficult for us to go home. We can only manage to visit once every five to six months. By the time we arrive, the house is overgrown with grass and plants, even inside. If there is a dialysis machine at Trashigang Hospital, it would be much easier for us. Being closer to home would allow us to work on our land and take care of the house,” said Sangay Choden, Shongphu Gewog.
“We can’t stay with our parents or visit them often because we don’t have a vehicle. We are forced to stay here for dialysis twice a week. I would like to visit home but the need for dialysis makes it difficult. If there were a machine in Trashigang, closer to our village, I could visit home more often,” said Singye, Lumang Gewog.
Monggar Hospital is currently providing dialysis to 40 patients, including 18 from Trashigang, Tashi Yangtse and nearby areas.
Some patients stay with relatives while a few, due to financial problems, live in the hospital guest house with their families, often setting up their own makeshift living arrangements.
The hospital also provides meals to the patients to help ease their burden.
Meanwhile, the urgent need for a dialysis machine in Trashigang was recently discussed at the Dzongkhag Tshogdu. The Tshogdu decided to write to the health ministry about the issue.
The Chief Medical Officer of Trashigang said that following the Dzongkhag Tshogdu’s decision, the hospital administration will submit a proposal to the National Medical Service to establish a Dialysis Unit in the hospital this fiscal year.
Meanwhile, they are assessing the number of patients in Trashigang and nearby areas.
Currently, Monggar Regional Referral Hospital is the only facility providing dialysis services in the eastern region.
Sonam Darjay, Trashigang
Edited by Sonam Pem
