Telangana clocks 42.66L dialysis sessions

Since its launch in 2014, the government incurred an expenditure of Rs 575 cr

Hyderabad: Dialysis facilities, the flagship initiative of the State government in Telangana, which provides vital free dialysis support to chronic kidney patients, has completed a staggering 42.66 lakh dialysis sessions since its launch in June 2014. To conduct 42.66 lakh dialysis sessions, the State government has incurred an expenditure of Rs 575 crore between June 2014 and November 2021. In the process, the initiative in Telangana has provided access to free dialysis services to 60,799 patients suffering from end-stage kidney disease. For the past three years, i.e. between 2018 and 2021, the Health Department is consistently providing free dialysis facilities to over 10,000 patients every year at 43 dialysis facilities across Telangana.

“It was the vision of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao to ensure holistic and quality healthcare services are available to all kidney patients for free of cost. Before statehood, there were only three dialysis centres but today there are 43. In the next few months, the State government will also launch free dialysis facilities for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis patients,” said Health Minister Harish Rao, during a recent review.

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Overall, close to 12,000 chronic need dialysis support every year in Telangana. At present, on average, the State government through Aarogyasri is spending Rs 100 crore for conducting dialysis sessions across the State. The 43 free kidney dialysis facilities are divided into clusters and are attached to three nodal tertiary kidney care centres including NIMS, Gandhi Hospital and Osmania General Hospital (OGH). There are 18 dialysis centres attached to NIMS, 11 to OGH and 14 facilities to Gandhi Hospital.

“The overall aim is to provide all kidney-related facilities for free of cost to patients in Telangana. This will include free medicines, dialysis sessions, free transport to dialysis facility and free kidney transplantation along with life-saving drugs needed for recovery of patients who underwent kidney transplants,” said senior health officials.

To ensure quality is maintained and infections are reduced, the State government has adopted single-use dialysis systems, wherein dilaysers and other consumables are used only once and then discarded. While the cost of procuring such infrastructure is expensive, in the long term, the patients will benefit, as it reduces the risk of infection among them, officials said.

Huge relief

E Urmila (34), a resident of Zaheerbad, said she used to spend Rs 3,000 on every visit to a dialysis centre in a private hospital until the government opened dialysis centres in a government hospital. While the private hospitals used multi-use kits, she said that the government hospitals were using single-use kits which enhance the efficiency of treatment. Urmila, who visits Sangareddy hospital every alternative day for treatment, thanked Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for coming up with such a facility in the government hospital.

Free bus passes

Kalali Satyanarayana Goud, a resident of Peddareddypet in Pulkal Mandal of Sangareddy district, said the government has also issued free bus passes to them which is also saving money. Goud said in the past he used to hire an auto to reach government hospital in Sangareddy. Now, Goud said he boards a bus to reach the hospital without paying any fare.

Quality treatment

In charge of the Dialysis Centre in Sangareddy, M Peeru Nayak said many patients were still visiting private hospitals unaware of the quality of the treatment being offered here. Stating that there were still some slots vacant at the round the clock dialysis centre, Nayak called upon the patients to enrol here for treatment to save huge amounts. While the private hospitals were putting the kits for multi-use, they use it only once. He said nine employees are working round the clock to attend to patients.

Patients elated over quality services

Mancherial: Pulluri Ramadevi, 41, from Gouthaminagar in Mancherial district headquarters, expressed satisfaction over the quality of service being extended to kidney patients at the dialysis centre. “I have been depending on the centre for over 2 years. I am satisfied with the services. Earlier, I used to rely on private dialysis centres and shelled out huge amounts for the service,” she said. N Bheemrao, in charge of the Dmed Medical Service (DMMS) centre, said that single-use dialysers were being used to treat patients. The centre is equipped with modern technology and has 13 staffers. It can cater to the needs of around 100 patients a day if four more employees were recruited, he explained.

Also read:

Khammam: Govt dialysis centres help people come out of debt-trap

Karimnagar dialysis patients urge govt to extend pension

Dialysis patients seek more centres in Warangal

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