Our Response to a Recent Post About a Patient’s Stay at Xulon Zoe
A post has been circulating about a three-month stay at Xulon Zoe Wellness Retreat by a patient with advanced kidney disease. We respect the family’s concern for patient safety and want to share our side of the account, calmly and without blame.
What we are, and what we are not
Xulon Zoe is a wellness and lifestyle retreat, not a hospital. We offer supportive care through diet, rest, and complementary therapies, aimed at general wellbeing. Guests must continue the medicines prescribed by their own doctors.
How this stay came about
Our understanding is that the patient had a few temporary dialysis sessions in May 2022, and was not in dialysis by the time he joined us in mid-September 2022. He was originally expected to join us a month earlier. He changed his plans and had a laser eye procedure elsewhere first. Our usual practice is to admit only guests whose condition is stable. He was stable when he joined.
What happened during the stay
During his stay, he was taking silver water and bought his own pot and drank that water. We are not happy, which was not part of our plan and recommended by his mom. I warned him that it is not good for the kidneys. After the first week course, his creatinine and urea level got increased. In his second week, one day he developed severe breathlessness. We admitted him to hospital immediately. He spent a day in the ICU, and the doctors advised permanent dialysis twice a week.
On his discharge we told him clearly that he should return home and continue dialysis in Mumbai. He told us he would be staying alone and that his wife in Mumbai could not care for him, as her father was seriously ill.
He chose to stay for another two and a half months. He said other guests staying were getting good improvement in their kidney function and that his family situation made returning difficult, and that he wished to stay until his fistula had matured. We agreed to support him alongside his doctors. Simple question, Why did he stay for three months? Most guests stay for two to four weeks.
During his stay:
- I personally took him to [Vinothan Hospital, Thanjavur] twice a week and to his nephrologist for check-ups.
- His blood pressure was checked three times a day and remained well controlled.
- He reported feeling better during his stay.
We were glad to learn that he has since received a kidney transplant, which is the right path for advanced kidney disease.
On cost
The charge at that time was ₹2,000 per [day/week] for room and programme. It was not covered by insurance and did not follow standard allopathic or AYUSH protocols. We agree this should always be stated plainly before anyone joins.
What we accept and will improve
The author raised fair points, and we take them seriously:
- We are not a hospital and do not have a resident doctor 24×7. We take only guests whose blood pressure is stable, and we check it three times daily.
- We are about 15 km from the nearest hospital, and guests with serious conditions should know this before they come.
- For any guest with a serious illness, we will provide a written note of what the programme can and cannot do, and when to seek hospital care.
- We will no longer admit guests who are on, or close to needing, dialysis.
Closing
I took this patient in out of concern for his situation, and I regret that his experience ended in disappointment. Our aim is the same as the author’s: that patients with serious illness stay under qualified medical care and that wellness support is never mistaken for medical treatment. We wish him good health.
–Jothi PremSanker, Director, Xulon Zoe Wellness Retreat