Assam: Kidney Dialysis To Get Free

Costly kidney dialysis will soon be history and the treatment for kidney related diseases will be within everyone's reach.

The Assam government has decided to make kidney dialysis and other treatments related to kidney free in the state.

This was announced by Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday during an interaction with the media.

The minister announced that the kidney treatment in the state will be made free of cost under Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP).

The programme will run in 18 locations in Assam in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, has been chosen through detailed selection process by National Health Mission, Assam to implement the Programme in Assam. The Assam government on February 5, 2019, signed this agreement for a period of five years.

During the interaction, the minister also informed that in each unit, 40 dialysis could be done per day.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, when was asked about the reasons behind increasing incidents of kidney related diseases in the state, said that in most of the vegetables in the state harmful chemicals are used and when these vegetables are consumed, they have an adverse impact on the kidneys.

"Already we have send samples of vegetables collected from various place to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and when the report comes, we will be able to know how much toxic is being used in these vegetables. We will take steps to stop the use of these toxic," Sarma added.

He also informed that the dialysis centres would soon be operational at eight hospitals and health centres in the state, which include- SMK Civil Hospital (Nalbari), Managaldai Civil Hospital (Darrang), Kanaklata Civil Hospital (Sonitpur), Tezpur Medical College & Hospital (Sonitpur), LGB Civil Hospital (Tinsukia), Morigaon Civil Hospital (Morigaon), Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College (Barpeta), and Bongaigaon District Hospital (Bongaigaon).

Moreover, seven more facilities will be made operational within the second week of July. These seven facilities are BP Civil hospital (Nagaon), Sivasagar Civil Hospital (Sivasagar), North Lakhimpur Civil Hospital, Dhemaji Civil Hospital, Diphu Civil Hospital, Dhubri Civil Hospital, and Goalpara Civil Hospital.

It may be mentioned here that the first dialysis session in Assam was conducted successfully at Swahid Mukanda Kakati Civil Hospital, Nalbari on June 4, 2019.