Pune Charity Commissionerate to assist poor with kidney transplants, dialysis

The decision comes at a time when there have been complaints of impoverished patients on waiting lists in hospitals being passed up on account of their inability to pay the amount for the expensive surgeries

PUNE: The Pune Charity Commissionerate has announced an initiative to assist poor patients from middle and lower middle classes with end-stage kidney failures requiring transplants and dialysis facilities.

(There have been reported that despite getting funds approval from the Chief Minister’s and the Prime Minister’s Office, the patients had to wait for two years to get their surgeries and avail the treatment at the charitable hospitals (PICTURE FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY)

The charity comissionerate will inform patients of available financial assistance for medical treatment. This was announced on Monday during a co-ordination meeting of officials of Hospital Association of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, Aundh Chest Hospital, Zilla Parishad and other government departments. The meeting was chaired by Joint Charity Commissioner Dilip Deshmukh.

The decision comes at a time when there have been complaints of impoverished patients on waiting lists in hospitals being passed up on account of their inability to pay the amount for the expensive surgeries. There have been reported that despite getting funds approval from the Chief Minister’s and the Prime Minister’s Office, the patients had to wait for two years to get their surgeries and avail the treatment at the charitable hospitals.

Under the new initiative, the Pune Charity Commissionerate will implement the financial assistance scheme by different government bodies like the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund, Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Zilla Parishad and other departments of the state government under one umbrella for the benefit of the poor and the needy.

Deputy Charity Commissioner Navnath Jagtap said, “The current scheme to provide funds and assistance to kidney patients will be done under the aegis on the one umbrella programme. This scheme will come into vogue from December and financial assistance from NGOs and donors will be sought to support the poor and the needy patients. It would be our endeavour to help all the economically poor and extremely needy patients for undergoing medical treatment,” he said.