The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Kidney foundation launches free dialysis scheme

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Kidney foundation launches free dialysis scheme

Staff Reporter

Target is to offer three dialysis procedures free of cost per day

FOR A CAUSE: Actor Suriya, ambassador for TANKER receives a cheque for the `Dialysis A Day' project from Round Table heads Giridhar Raj (centre) and Aloke Mimani on Tuesday. — Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

CHENNAI : The Tamil Nadu Kidney Research Foundation (TANKER) will offer a free dialysis a day for underprivileged patients this year, as part of a project funded by the Madras West Round Table 10 and Madras Ladies Circle 2.

Actor Suriya, goodwill ambassador for TANKER, launched the project on Tuesday.

He said that he would sponsor one more dialysis per day as his personal contribution for the project.

"There is a lot more awareness and financial support needed to help poor patients with kidney problems. Many of them can't afford the dialysis costs," said Suriya.

He sported a white T-shirt with the slogan `I support TANKER' for the occasion. Latha A. Kumaraswami, Managing Director of TANKER, said that Suriya's fundraising support over the last year had helped them set up a dialysis unit in Madurai.

The `Dialysis A Day' project will be carried out at TANKER's Ambattur unit. Aloke Mimani, Chairman of Madras West Round Table 10, said that more than one dialysis would be sponsored depending on the funds raised.

The target is to offer three dialysis procedures free of cost per day. Giridhar Raj, Round Table Area Chairman, said he would urge other branches across Tamil Nadu to support dialysis costs for the poor.

One dialysis procedure costs TANKER Rs. 700. The organisation offers subsidised treatment at Rs. 450 per procedure in its units at Kilpauk, Ambattur and Palanganatham in Madurai, said TANKER's Founder-Trustee Georgi Abraham. About 150 free dialysis procedures every month are offered to the poor through sponsorship. TANKER can be reached at 2827 3407.

Round Table's upcoming fundraiser for the dialysis project is an evening of theatre. `Double Deal', a play directed by Mahesh Dattani and starring Mahesh Manjrekar and Sandhya Mridhul, will be performed at Park Sheraton on February 23. Call 9444404313 or 9840918965 for donor passes.

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