Government promise remains on paper

KOCHI: The government’s promise to set up dialysis centres in all districts is still in limbo even as the number of patients requiring dialysis is on the rise.Palakkad and Kottayam are the only districts where the centres have come up with four machines each. About 30 patients can undergo dialysis a month in each centre. The revised budget-2011 promised to set up dialysis centres on a private-public partnership, but initiatives are yet to be taken in most districts.“We are running units in Palakkad and Kottayam. Work is almost over in Ernakulam and an MoU will be signed for setting up a centre in Thrissur district hospital in January 2012,” said Ananda Kumar, executive director, Sri Sathya Sai Orphanage Trust. The Trust is offering dialysis free of cost at district hospitals with which it has tied up. “The government sets up the infrastructure and we operate the units,” he said.More than 40,000 persons are in need of dialysis and half of them are below poverty line. But the facilities are not enough to cater to their needs. Dialysis costs anywhere between `600 and `1,800 in private hospitals. Shortage of nephrologists is another major problem.“All DMOs were asked to submit a project report on it,” said Sudhakaran, DMO, Ernakulam. A centre will be opened soon in the Ernakulam District Hospital and another is already functioning in the District Hospital, Aluva, which has 12 units, where dialysis costs `300.“We are getting the infrastructure ready in every district hospital. We held discussions at the Senior Medical Officers Conference and have started working on a war-footing. Everything depends on the availability of machines. We accept donations too and many NGOs have come forward to help,” said P K Jameela, Director, Health Services.Tenders have been called for reverse osmosis (RO) plants. Funds have been disbursed for developing dialysis centres. “District hospitals that have a room to spare to be covered into a dialysis unit and other facilities are given priority. Air-conditioning, electrification and plumbing have to be done. Work is being done in phases. We hope to set up a centre in Pathanamthitta next,” she said.