The Kerala Health Department has ordered a formal investigation after two patients died following dialysis treatment at the Government Taluk Headquarters Hospital (THH) in Haripad, Alappuzha district. The incident occurred during a dialysis session on 29 December 2025, leading to symptoms such as vomiting and shivering, and subsequent deaths on 30 and 31 December 2025, respectively.
Ramachandran (60), a resident of Haripad and a long-term dialysis patient, experienced shivering, vomiting and diarrhoea during his session on 29 December. He was referred to the Government Medical College, Vandanam, and later to a private hospital due to ICU unavailability, where he died on 30 December 2025.
Majeed (52) from Kayamkulam, who had been undergoing dialysis for about six years, also developed discomfort and shivering during the same session. He was shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital, Alappuzha, but succumbed to his condition on 31 December 2025.
In addition to the deceased, two other patients who underwent dialysis during the same session developed similar symptoms and were transferred to other facilities for care.
Dialysis is a medical procedure that performs the blood-filtering functions normally carried out by healthy kidneys, removing excess fluids and waste products when the kidneys are impaired. The most common form is hemodialysis, in which blood is passed through a dialysis machine (artificial kidney) that filters waste and excess fluid before returning the cleansed blood to the body.
Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or endstage renal failure often require regular dialysis sessions, typically several hours long, multiple times per week, to sustain life in the absence of adequate kidney function.
Although generally safe when properly managed, dialysis can be associated with complications, especially in individuals with weakened immunity or pre-existing conditions. Common issues include:
Infections of the bloodstream or access sites, particularly with repeated procedures
Hypotension (low blood pressure)
Muscle cramps, nausea or vomiting
Shivering and chills during or after treatment
Electrolyte imbalances
Dialysis disequilibrium syndrome (a rare but serious neurological condition)
Prompt recognition and management of these complications are key to patient safety during and after dialysis sessions.
Following the incident, the dialysis unit at Haripad Taluk Hospital was temporarily shut down, with patients redirected to other government facilities for their treatment. A team including a microbiologist and biomedical safety engineer conducted technical evaluations of the machines and water used in the dialysis process, with preliminary assessments reportedly finding no immediate issues.
The Alappuzha District Medical Officer (DMO) has been tasked with leading a detailed inquiry, and the Kerala Health Minister has sought a comprehensive report. The probe aims to determine whether infection, machine malfunction, procedural lapses or other factors contributed to the adverse outcomes.
Dialysis services are part of the broader renal replacement therapy infrastructure in Kerala, which has expanded in recent years to include units at district and taluk levels to improve accessibility for patients requiring long-term care. These services are crucial for patients with kidney failure, especially in areas where private treatment costs can be prohibitive.
Episodes such as the Haripad incident bring attention to the importance of infection control, machine maintenance, staff training, and patient monitoring in dialysis units. Vulnerable patients, especially those with suppressed immunity or multiple comorbidities and are at higher risk of complications during invasive procedures like dialysis, underscoring the need for stringent safety protocols.
Reference
1. National Kidney Foundation. “Dialysis.” Accessed 2nd January 2026. https://www.kidney.org/kidney-topics/dialysis.
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