Minister Parimal Suklabaidya inaugurated dialysis unit at SK Roy Civil Hospital

A CORRESPONDENT

HAILAKANDI: Minister for Environment and Forest, Fisheries and Excise, Parimal Suklabaidya inaugurated a dialysis unit under the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme at SK Roy Civil Hospital in Hailakandi on Tuesday.

Inaugurating the dialysis service at the hospital premises in presence of MLA, Jakir Hussain Laskar, Deputy Commissioner, Rohan Kumar Jha, District BJP President, Subrata Bhattacharjee and other dignitaries, Minister Suklabaidya said it would bring big relief to the poor patients who need dialysis for end-stage renal disease. "Dialysis for renal disease is costly. Poor patients cannot afford such a treatment. Under the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme, poor patients get access to dialysis free of cost," he said.

Suklabaidya also said that most families have to undertake frequent trips, and often over long distances to access dialysis services incurring heavy travel costs and loss of wages for the patient and family members accompanying the patient. "This leads to financial catastrophe for families with such patients. The scheme not only reduces impoverishment on account of out-of-pocket expenditure for patients, making the treatment absolutely free but also cuts down transportation costs," he added.

The Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme was rolled out in 2016 as part of the National Health Mission (NHM) for the provision of free dialysis services to the poor. The guidelines for Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme envisage the provision of dialysis services under NHM in Public Private Partnership model.

Every year about 2.2 lakh new patients of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) get added in India resulting in additional demand for 3.4 crore dialysis every year. With approximately 4,950 dialysis centres, largely in the private sector in India, the demand is less than half met with existing infrastructure. Since every dialysis has an additional expenditure tag of about Rs.2000, it results in a monthly expenditure for patients to the tune of Rs.3-4 lakh annually. At present, hemo-dialysis services are provided free of cost at 21 Public Health Institutions across Assam.

Also Read:  Minister Parimal Suklabaidya inaugurates drinking water project in Cachar district

Also Watch: