The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Ray of hope for scores of kidney patients

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Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Ray of hope for scores of kidney patients

Staff Reporter

60 new dialysis machines for three tertiary government hospitals
Patients with white cards and Arogyasri cards will be eligible

HYDERABAD: There is a ray of hope for scores of kidney patients who are unable to afford the costly dialysis treatment. The State government will be adding 60 new dialysis machines in three tertiary government hospitals in capital that includes Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Gandhi and Osmania General Hospitals.

There is a huge demand for dialysis among kidney patients. However, the dialysis machines in the State are limited and dialysis sessions are cost prohibitive. Including both private and government sector, there are only 150 dialysis machines in the State and just 60 nephrologists to handle the complicated dialysis procedure.

In contrast, every year about 6,000 new patients are added to the long list of existing patients needing dialysis. Cost- wise, a single dialysis session, apart from the drugs, would cost between Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 3, 500 depending on the hospital facilities. Typically, a kidney patient needs 8 to 10 dialysis sessions in a month. Thanks to Arogyasri scheme, the project to provide dialysis services at government hospitals is likely to take off in a month or two. Patients with white cards and Arogyasri cards will be eligible. The project was mooted by Chief Minister Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and a committee of top nephrologists was set up to chalk out modalities. The committee has submitted its report to the higher ups in the government. The committee in the report said that each kidney patient would be eligible for 8 to 10 dialysis sessions in a month. Nearly Rs. 10,000 per patient in a month would be spent under the health insurance cover. A central dialysis registry, in the lines of a cancer registry, would be maintained to keep a count on the number of patients needing kidney transplantation and dialysis. “There are thousands of kidney patients who can’t afford dialysis. Satisfying all of them is a tough task but at least a start has been made,” says Vice-Principal of Gandhi Medical College and a member of the committee Dr. Pradeep Deshpande.

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Andhra Pradesh