Opening this Sunday in the summer capital here, the dialysis center set up by an NGO, Athrout charitable trust would be offering services to chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients at the “lowest ever rates” in Kashmir.
Presently these patients are mostly dependent on the private sectors where each session of dialysis costs between Rs 2000 to Rs 3000 per session. Except for recently opened dialysis center by the directorate of health in Anantnag district hospital where the facility is offered at Rs 950 there is no such facility in government sector to offer services to these chronic kidney patients at subsidised rate.
But, now opening of the Athrout’s dialysis center on June 03 in heart of Srinagar in Nawakadal will be a huge respite for these patients. They can avail the facility at around Rs 900 per session. Moreover, the center will offer facility “absolutely free to poor patients”. The rates are the lowest offered by any dialysis center in Kashmir, according to members of Athrout.
Speaking about inspiration behind the initiative, Bashir Nadwi, chairman Athrout said, “Once, during our routine verification of a case, we came across a patient who had sold his huge and luxurious house to fund his dialysis. His condition was such that the family approached us for charity so that they could keep their patient alive. This prompted us to do something for these patients.”
He said Athrout was aware of growing burden of the CKD in Kashmir and that every day five to six patients approached the organisation seeking help for dialysis. “We have been funding around 60 patients for dialysis already,” he said.
Athrout members said that the center was committed to not just proving a facility for the CKD patients but improving the quality of care. “It has been seen that many dialysis centers compromise with either duration of dialysis or other parameters. Our equipment is designed in such a way that ensures patients get exactly the same dialysis as they have been prescribed by their doctor and for the same duration,” said Dr Rashid Fazli, a member of Athrout.
Abdul Hamid, owner of Raheem Greens and an active member of organisation said, the center was a proof of success of volunteerism for helping society. “We are paying technicians and other staff the best salaries, have the state-of-art machines and we are still able to provide dialysis at less than Rs 1000,” he said. He also urged that health department wakes up to the prevalent rates and practices vis-a-vis dialysis in private sector so that patients do not continue to be “fleeced”.
For a patient diagnosed with the CKD, there are only two options: a kidney transplant or life-long maintenance dialysis. While kidney transplant costs lakhs of rupees and depends on availability of a donor, most CKD patients in Kashmir depend on hemo-dialysis, a procedure in which blood of a person is passed through an external filter. This procedure is usually carried out as long as a person lives or till they get a kidney transplant.
Known for its interventions towards helping poor and needy, Athrout, “The Helping Hand” has set up the center through donations from its members and general public. The office bearers of the organisation said that the need for setting up an affordable dialysis center was shared with members and masses a year ago which resulted in “overwhelming support”. “Everyone contributed wholeheartedly to the cause, in cash and kind,” Nadwi said.
The center has eight dialysis machines, and will be able to register around 50 patients for dialysis. “We could help more if we had more machines,” the officials said.