Petition to the Government of India: Abolish taxes on Dialysis Equipment and Consumables

The Government of India taxes dialysis equipment, consumables for dialysis and raw materials imported to make some consumables. Isn't that absolutely fantastic? You can't do anything to reduce our burden. But you will do everything in your reach to make it worse!

This lopsided, irrational and inhuman taxation must be done away with immediately. Do you even realize how much a dialysis patient spends monthly on his treatment? Instead of providing subsidies to all dialysis patients, how can you even think of adding to our burden by taxing these items?

A dialysis patient spends close to Rs. 20,000 only on dialysis every month. The cost of medicines, blood tests, doctor visits and hospital admissions is in addition to this. Due to this, a large number of dialysis patients give up after a few weeks of dialysis and die.

The Government has a tax exemption of Rs. 40,000 under section 80DDB for such people. What is this, a joke? All expenses on medical treatment should be exempt from tax! We should be allowed to produce bills in support of this exemption. I can't believe I am actually paying tax on the amount I am spending on my medical treatment. Isn't something horribly wrong?

Yes, some Governments provide free dialysis under schemes such as Aarogyasri. But that is only for those below the poverty line. Expenses on dialysis can ruin a middle class family's entire financial planning! They do not get any assistance from the Government. Fine, the Government does not have the funds to give everyone free dialysis. Agreed. Why increase the burden? Why make it worse?

We at NephroPlus started a petition to the Government of India in concert with efforts being made by many similar groups in the dialysis industry asking the Government to abolish all taxes on dialysis equipment and consumables.

I earnestly request you to lend your voice to this cause and sign the petition. It takes only a few seconds. Here is the link.


Comments

Chaitali said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bala said…
A very good initiative, thanks a lot
also no tax on Transplant medicines
-- Bala