Why should the Government worry about dialysis only?

Yesterday I wrote about how the Government could make sure that not one Indian needed to die due to the lack of financial resources to pay for his or her dialysis. Some people might question the logic of the money saved from abolishing the Haj subsidy being spent entirely on dialysis. Why not look at other diseases?

Which other disease needs such large amounts to be spent on a treatment week after week, often lifelong, with no respite unless a transplant is done, which itself is very rare?

Someone has a heart valve blockage, one major surgery is done and the person is put on medication. That's it. Someone gets cancer, several rounds of chemotherapy and medication mostly does the trick. Almost every other common disease I can think of needs a temporary intervention possibly followed by medication.

Chronic Kidney Disease is probably the only condition that requires continuous, unending spends of large sums of money on a treatment that is needed just to keep one alive. The number of people that are affected is also quite large to ignore.

There is a precedent too. In the US, End Stage Renal Disease is the only medical condition for which Medicare, the US scheme for medical coverage, provides unending coverage.

It is high time the Indian Government woke up to this reality and did something about it. Especially when we realise that there are practical solutions to this gigantic problem. It is sad that when the money is available, the resources are available, the people are available to make this happen, it still does not happen.

Comments

suman sharma said…
hi kamal, my eyes are full of tears by reading your last three blogs. We ( dialyzers and caregivers) are living in a stage of continuous fear. only very very very few people can afford dialysis in this country. rest are bound to die. i also think, what will happen when money will finish. cant believe that my father will die due to lack of funds. but this is a harsh reality. he also says kyon itna paisa kharch kar rahe ho, mere marne se kya fark pad jayega. by god's grace we are born in a country where life of a person is the cheapest thing to buy. god bless you and wil always pray for your long life.
Bala said…
Hi Kamal,

there are many patients in my centre who undergo weekly twice dialysis instead of thrice to save money, but they come sick with fluid overload.

dialysis paitents all over india need to have an organisation to raise their voice/views to the government, only then govt will listen our views. there are many problems need to be addressed.

this new webdesign is nice

Bala
Kamal D Shah said…
Thanks Suman and Bala for your comments,