Patients suffering from blood cancer and those needing renal transplantation might get additional monetary support under the Rajiv Aarogyasri scheme.
Officials of the Rajiv Arogyasri Trust had recently sent proposals to the government of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to enhance medical cover for two types of leukaemia diseases and also for kidney transplantation. From the existing Rs.2 lakh per family per year, the proposed limits are Rs.2.8 lakh for leukaemia patients and Rs.3.3 lakh for kidney transplant patients.
Aarogyasri CEO K. Dhananjaya Reddy said poor patients suffering from these two medical conditions were spending more than Rs.2 lakh a year on treatment alone, and hence it was important to come to their rescue.
Mr. Reddy was speaking at a conference on Universal Coverage of End Stage Renal Disease organised by Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) on Friday in the city.
Speaking on the theme of the conference, the CEO said though there were 1,100 odd dialysis centre in AP and Telangana, 160 more centres will be set up under PPP (Public-private Partnership) model in both States in the near future.
A study was released during the event, which focused on the roadmap for a sustainable renal care programme across the country.
Health experts highlighted the importance of Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) and its advantages over conventional haemodialysis for patients suffering from kidney problems. The speakers called for policy changes so that PD is widely promoted, especially in rural areas, as a cost-effective and efficient form of treatment for patients.
Citing a case-study done in Kanpur, the members proposed a unique model that can be implemented various cities and towns. According to this model, Kanpur’s population of 30 lakh could be covered for just Rs.99 per person, considering that only 1,050 patients there suffered from renal problems.
