Expanded dialysis centre to serve underprivileged

The facility is aimed at serving more needy people, who cannot afford dialysis procedure that costs anywhere above Rs 1,100 at private hospitals. Dialysis is the process of filtering and purifying the blood using a machine. This helps keep the body in balance when the kidneys can’t do the job on their own. Most of the patients require the facility at least twice a week, while severely ill need it thrice a week. Therefore, in the absence of subsidies or free facilities, the expenses can take a toll on their finances. 

Talking to DTNext on the sidelines of the launch, Latha Kumaraswami, managing trustee, Tamil Nadu Kidney Research Foundation (TANKER) said, “Initially, with this centre we teamed up with the Corporation of Chennai and Rotary Club of Madras East to see how public-NGO Partnership will work out. It worked out well and we wanted to expand in the heart of the city, to reach out to more people, as private hospitals are expensive.” She added that with 10 machines, they would be able to help at least 60 people. 

“There are many more on the waiting list,” she says. TANKER will soon collaborate with Rotary Club of Madras West to come up with a facility at Tiruverkadu and another in association with Rotary Club of Vellore Fort at Vellore for those in and around the district. However, Latha emphasises on the need for screening and awareness. 

“If the government focuses on screening, we can prevent a lot from ending up with the need for dialysis. Also, private facilities can slash their rates a little for the benefit of the middle-income groups. We are unable to reach out to the section as our focus is on the poor and underprivileged,” she says.