The Kidney Patients’ Association, Mangaluru, which formally came into existence on Sunday, has urged the government to bring chronic kidney diseases within the ambit of government health schemes as thousands of patients are unable to bear the cost of dialysis, transplantation and medicines.
In his introductory address, Umar U.H., one of the members of Mangalore Nephro-Urology Charitable Trust that is promoting the association, said unlike other diseases, kidney disease would not be known till both the kidneys were damaged. While many other diseases were covered under government health schemes, chronic kidney diseases were not part of them.
Those undergoing dialyses as well as transplantation would have to spend thousands of rupees every month for medicines and treatment, he said.
‘Not included’
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim, who inaugurated the association, said chronic kidney diseases were not included in health schemes because of the alleged involvement of kidney rackets.
However, it was true that patients were forced to undergo physical and financial ordeal, he said. “I will send a proposal to the government to bring them under the Vajpayee Arogyashree scheme,” Mr. Ibrahim said.
Irregular food habits
Citing irregular food habits as the main reason for kidney diseases, he urged the people to develop healthy food habits. One has to undergo medical check-up at regular intervals too.
It was unfortunate that even the educated and financially sound people would not do so and they have the habit of approaching hospitals only when they contract diseases, Mr. Ibrahim said.
Spreading awareness
Mohammed Saleem, chairman of the Trust, said it had been conducting awareness programmes on kidney diseases for the past three years. So far, help from society — associations, organisations, temple committees, Masjid jamats etc. — was being taken for treatment or dialysis of poor kidney patients. However, such a practice cannot go for long and the association was conceptualised.
Financial needs
Besides creating a corpus for the financial needs of patients, the association would also work as a collective to demand facilities for them, Dr. Saleem said.
Every dialysis centre would have information centres of the association where new patients would be informed about the procedure of treatment and available alternatives.
It would primarily aim at disseminating information, he said. Vivek Pathak, nephrologist from Kovai Medical Center and Hospitals, Coimbatore, who has specialised in steroids-free transplantation, was present.
