Citizens of Purnea, Araria, Kishanganj and Katihar districts would no longer have to go beyond the Seemanchal region looking for healthcare.

State co-operatives minister Ramadhar Singh inaugurated a dialysis centre, a 20-bed maternity ward and an eight-bed labour ward at Purnea sadar hospital on Friday. People residing in the bordering areas of Nepal and Bengal would also benefit from them.

Singh said: “Gone are the days when kidney patients of the Seemanchal region had to go out of the area for expensive treatment because of lack of facilities. This is the first sadar hospital of the state to have a dialysis centre to offer free treatment to kidney patients.” Singh said: “Around Rs 21 lakh was spent for the dialysis machine. Reverse osmosis system unit has been installed on the hospital premises for safe dialysis. Four patients can undergo dialysis at the centre every day.”

Purnea civil surgeon R.C. Mandal told The Telegraph: “A three-member team of doctors, comprising Dr A. Ahad, Dr P.N. Thakur and Dr Sudhanshu Kumar, underwent training at Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences, Calcutta, on how to carry out dialysis of kidney patients at our hospital.”

He said: “The installation of the dialysis machine at the hospital and free treatment offer would attract patients from other parts of the state also.”

Mandal added: “It is difficult to assess the number of kidney patients who go out of the region for treatment, expenses of which they hardly manage to bear. Over 20-25 per cent of people exceeding 40 years of age suffer from diabetes and are vulnerable to kidney ailments. Our hospital would prove to be a boon for the poor patients who fall victim to such diseases.”

A source said: “A patient has to pay Rs 3,000-Rs 7,000 for each round of dialysis according to the standards of the hospitals. A medical kit, priced over Rs 1,200, is used in each dialysis, but it would be available for free at Purnea sadar hospital. Kidney patients have to undergo dialysis once a week.”