Thiruvananthapuram: Renal transplant patients facing the worst crisis

Thiruvananthapuram: The renal transplant patients are facing serious problem because of the stopping of Karyuna scheme.

Most renal transplant patients need medicines worth Rs 6,000 to 12,000 per month after transplantation. Earlier they used to get assistance from the Karunya scheme. The applications for assistance are piling up in medical college hospitals and district lottery offices.

The transplant patients survive on immunosuppressant or medicines that lower the body's ability to reject a transplanted organ. These are required regularly by patients who have undergone transplant.

The maintenance drugs which include anti-rejection medications need to be used for a longer period. These drugs have to be taken almost every day as directed by the physicians. Missing a single dose could increase the risk of rejection.

Under the Karunya scheme these patients used to get financial assistance regularly. But now the situation has come to such a pass that the medicines prescribed by the doctors are not available in government hospitals or Jan Aushadhi.

Many local bodies which used to provide free medicines say they don't have sufficient funds. Karunya district samithis are also facing similar fund crunch.

With the prevalence of diabetes as high as 16 to 20 per cent in the state which is double the national average, one in three patients coming out from the renal clinics suffer from diabetic nephropathy, the disease that damages kidneys. Doctors say diabetic nephropathy has already attained the status being the single biggest cause of end stage kidney disease.

It is under these circumstances that schemes like Karunya proved to be life saving.