The State government will provide the required assistance to run the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Dialysis Centre set up in Rajajinagar under the legislators’ constituency development scheme, said Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar.
Inaugurating the centre, Mr. Shettar said the facility to provide free dialysis sessions to those below the poverty line (BPL) should also be extended to those above the poverty line as “it has become difficult even for the middle class to undergo regular dialysis”.
Pointing out that renal failure devastates all sections of society, the Chief Minister lauded the efforts of Urban Development Minister S. Suresh Kumar, who represents Rajajinagar constituency, in setting up the dialysis centre using his discretionary funds quota as an MLA.
MoU exchanged
Earlier, he exchanged the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the State Health Department and Rotary Bangalore Peenya that will run the centre.
According to the MoU, patients below the poverty line will be provided free dialysis while those above poverty line will be charged Rs. 500 per session. Minister Suresh Kumar said he spent Rs. 2.1 crore on the centre from his fund. Some philanthropists from Bangalore Turf Club and private firms had come forward to donate Rs. 15,000 a month.
The centre, near the Old Police Station Circle on the 9th Main in Rajajinagar 2nd Block, is equipped with nine dialysis machines and can take on 18 dialyses a day initially.
Protesters detained
Earlier, S. Bhaskaran, the RTI activist who had made allegations against Mr. Suresh Kumar leading to the latter submitting his resignation to the Chief Minister, tried to disrupt the programme by attempting to barge into the venue to protest.
The police pre-empted it by detaining him and two others — Jaikumar Hiremath and Shivkumar — before the Chief Minister reached the venue. Members of the Karnataka Jagruti Janandolana Samiti threw pamphlets seeking immediate appointment of the Lokayukta.
