Ludhiana: Medicine shortage hits ops at Jawaddi dialysis centre

Patients at the Nar Seva Narayan Seva Dialysis Centre, located at the urban community health centre in Jawaddi, are facing inconvenience due to delays in timely supply of essential medicines

Patients at the Nar Seva Narayan Seva Dialysis Centre, located at the urban community health centre in Jawaddi, are facing inconvenience due to delays in timely supply of essential medicines.

At the centre, an NGO has set up machines and the state government has to supply medication, as per an MoU. (HT Photo)

The centre, set up by the NGO Welfare Society, has been operational since October 22, 2023, providing life-saving dialysis treatments to approximately 50 patients every day in two shifts.

The facility, equipped with 24 dialysis machines, relies on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the government and the NGO, where the government is responsible for supplying medicines, while the NGO provides the machinery and staff. Initially, medicines were supplied on time, but delays began to occur in January 2024, causing the NGO to step in and purchase the medicines themselves.

Each dialysis session for a single patient requires medicines worth ₹1,500, and with around 50 patients treated daily, the NGO has already spent an estimated ₹19 lakh on medicines since the beginning of the year.

In addition to medicine costs, the NGO incurs monthly expenses of ₹4 lakh for employee salaries, which includes six technicians, 16 helpers, and three sweepers. The centre also spends approximately ₹1 lakh on maintenance.

In response to these concerns, Deepak Garg, president of the Welfare Society, met with Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh and director health Dr Hartinder Kour last week. Garg submitted a memorandum requesting that the dialysis procedure be linked to the Ayush Bharat scheme to help cover the rising medicine costs. He was assured by the health director that the issue would be resolved, with medicines now promised to be delivered routinely.

The NGO is hopeful that the government’s commitment to timely medicine supply will resolve the ongoing challenges, ensuring uninterrupted care for dialysis patients in Jawaddi