First dialysis unit for HIV patients

CHENNAI
Nov. 28: An emotional Vayalar Ravi, Union minister of overseas affairs, flanked by his family, inaugurated the first dialysis machine exclusively for HIV infected people with kidney disease, at an event held at the Madras Medical Mission hospital here on Saturday.
Around 17 per cent of people living with HIV/AIDS develop chronic kidney disease- sometimes a side effect of the anti retroviral drugs.
The Tamil Nadu Kidney Research Foundation (TANKER) is setting up the dialysis unit for people with HIV/AIDS — a population that is denied dialysis by most hospitals for fear of spreading the dreaded infection.
“When a person with HIV, who needs the life saving dialysis, is turned away by the hospital, it affects him physically as well as psychologically. This discrimination is what we should fight against, as everybody has the right to healthcare,” said Mr Vayalar Ravi,
Nephrologist Dr Georgi Abraham, one of the founders of TANKER foundation, said that all patients, even those with HIV or hepatitis infection could be given dialysis on the same machines, if the universal safety precautions are followed.
“In the US, all patients who need dialysis are treated equal, and there is no mandate on getting tested for the infection before signing up for dialysis. However, if we offered dialysis for HIV positive patients on the same machines here, the other patients would prefer to die of kidney failure, than come for dialysis,” quips Dr Georgi.