Hyderabad: A discussion on the need for more dialysis centres and funding for kidney patients, in the Legislative Assembly on Friday, had an emotional Gongadi Sunitha, government whip and Alair MLA, recalling with tears in her eyes the plight of her father who had died of a kidney ailment after suffering for 14 years.
Ms Sunitha stressed the need for more dialysis centres as many poor patients could not afford the cost of dialysis.
Speaker P. Srinivas Reddy said people in certain regions of the state are drinking water from bore wells that are dug thousands of feet deep and this is causing kidney ailments.
He said people should consume tap water supplied to households through Mission Bhagiratha.
TRS MLAs B. Ganesh, K. Bhupal Reddy, Nomula Narasimhaiah and K. Chander also requested the state government to establish more dialysis centres and make the treatment free for the needy.
Health minister Etala Rajendar said that state government has sent a proposal to the Union Government to give a subsidy for dialysis patients in the state and also to establish more centres for patients suffering with kidney-related ailments.
The minister said “even if the Union government does not consider our request, we are ready to implement the scheme.”
The state government spends `1.20 lakh on each patient undergoing dialysis and the government is also thinking of establishing more dialysis centres in the state, Mr Rajendar said.
The minister explained that as of now there are 43 dialysis centres in the state and in this year’s budget, `19.39 crore was allotted to the dialysis scheme.
