Maharashtra to work with religious trusts to fund kidney patients

According to statistics by the ZTCC, only 2% of all kidney failure patients in Mumbai underwent lifesaving transplant surgeries in 2017.

Patients with end-stage kidney failure in the state will soon get affordable dialysis treatment as the Maharashtra Charity Commission will set up dialysis centres with financial assistance from religious trusts.

Nationally, there are around 2,50,000 kidney failure patients, who need dialysis or kidney transplants, but only 7,000 transplants are done annually (HT Photo)

According to statistics by the Zonal Transplant Coordination Committee (ZTCC), only 2% of all kidney failure patients in Mumbai underwent lifesaving transplant surgeries in 2017.

The waiting list of patients with end-stage kidney failure, who need to undergo dialysis until the transplant, has been rising from 2,494 (2015) to 3,222 (2016) and 3,271 in 2017.

Nationally, there are around 2,50,000 kidney failure patients, who need dialysis or kidney transplants, but only 7,000 transplants are done annually.

“The situation is severe in rural parts of the state, where people are dependent on state-run dialysis centres. Since the frequency of a dialysis procedure can be anywhere between twice a week to once a month, spending ₹2000 per procedure at private hospitals is not an option for the poor,” said Shivkumar Dige, charity commissioner.

District level committees of officials from the charity commissionernate and members of religious trusts will set up centres under the guidance of local trust-run or private hospitals. “We are not going to force any trust to participate in the initiative. Our intention is to help the poor and needy patients,” Dige said.