On dialysis

This refers to the article “ >Dialysis and the good life ” (‘Open Page’, June 2) — which had, among other things, an optimistic account of a solitary patient who happens to be a doctor himself. Though many poor people suffer from kidney failure, it is often difficult to convince them to undergo dialysis. Most often, the influence of quacks and dubious advertisements that promote miracle cures make them discontinue dialysis. Due to the prohibitive cost, I find that the earning member of the family has usually set aside most of his limited resources for exigencies or priorities such as a daughter’s marriage than for the procedure. The unregulated growth of dialysis centres across India without a nephrologist or a physician in supervision, often results in the dialysis failing, which in turn gives it a bad name. One has to think about how many can afford to undergo dialysis four times a week. If poor people with kidney failure are to live as happily as the patient in the article, and with multiple dialysis, the only way to do so is to bring down the cost of the procedure drastically.

Dr. N. Mohandas,

Thanjavur