CAIRO: The Egyptian Ministry of Health received information recently about the theft of disposed second-hand filters used in kidney dialysis machines, from a garbage collection point in Mansheyet Nasser shanty area, reported a local newspaper. According to Dr Hisham Shiha, who manages all Ministry of Health hospitals, it is shocking to even find the filters there. The nine kidney dialysis national centers in the city follow a strict disposal cycle of hospital blood waste. "Used filters are placed daily in red bags and incinerated, he said. Even private kidney dialysis centers cannot operate unless they abide by these standards. Patients of renal failure who use these machines can be suffering from Hepatitis C virus or even AIDS which can be a threat to anyone who comes in contact with an infected filter. Shiha explained that even if the blood had dried out, the plasma still carries the infection. There are two types of dialysis treatment, says Shiha, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. The majority of patients receive hemodialysis where the blood is circulated outside the body with an external filter machine where all the waste sticks, and returned to the patient. Besides being a life threat to traders who collect and recycle plastic products, when the new products reach the consumer, hygiene still cannot be guaranteed. These filters can eventually end up as spoons, bottle or food containers. It is impossible, says Shiha, for filters to be reused in national hospitals because they get blocked. But if Americans have in the past admitted to re-processing and reusing some hemodialysis filters and tubes to cut costs, says Shiha, there is no reason why we should not do it here for some extra savings. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has looked closely into re-use of dialysis equipment in the US and has forced manufacturers to clearly label their one-time use labels, and has offered rigid advice on re-use of dialyzers labeled for re-use that can be contaminated with power cuts. The Ministry of Health is currently investigating the allegations.
