Chennai mayor seeks proposals to set up dialysis centres across city – Times of India

CHENNAI: In a bid to ensure affordable healthcare access to all, Chennai mayor R Priya has asked regional deputy commissioners and deputy commissioner (health) to send proposals for setting up dialysis centres in zones in need of one.
In an internal review meeting held recently, the mayor informed officials to look at expanding dialysis centres to all zones. According to the minutes of the meeting, she told them to send proposals to repair the urban primary health centres, and come up with measures to improve outpatients and delivery strength in the UPHCs and UPHCs.
Dr S Mahalakshmi, additional city health officer, said in the first phase, three dialysis centres will be established at Ilango Nagar in Vyasarpadi, Padi UCHC in Ambattur zone and Semmencherry UPCH in Sholinganallur zone in the coming days.
As of now, the city corporation has six dialysis centres with 68 machines in its urban community health centres at Thiruvottiyur, Madhavaram, Nungambakkam, Valsaravakkam, Perungudi and Sholinganallur. Currently, 568 patients are on dialysis at the corporation centres.
“If a person goes to a private centre, they need to pay 2,500 per dialysis sitting. There are patients who go for dialyisis thrice a week, and pay 7,500 per week, totaling 30,000 per month. It is very expensive for a common person. The corporation centres are useful in this way,” said corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi.
He said there are about 25,000 people who may need dialysis in the city. The corporation has said land would be given to associations who would run the centres. “Patients who are insured under the CM health insurance scheme will get free treatment while for the rest, the corporation would pay upto 850 per sitting,” he said.
He added that they plan to mop up funds with help of CSR and rotary club, MP and MLA funds.