Govt to open National Dialysis Services Programme for poor patients

With an aim to help poor patients suffering from renal (kidney) disease, who require regukar dialysis, the government is planning to start a ‘National Dialysis Services Programme’. Announcing this in the budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said funds for this scheme, which will provide dialysis services in all district hospitals, will be made available through PPP mode under the National Health Mission.
 
About 2.2 lakh new patients of end stage renal disease get added in India every year resulting in additional demand for 3.4 crore dialysis sessions. With approximately 4,950 dialysis centres in India, largely in the private sector and concentrated in the major towns, the demand is only half met. Every dialysis session costs about Rs 2,000 - an annual expenditure of more than Rs 3 lakh. Besides, most families have to undertake frequent trips, often over long distances, to access dialysis services, incurring heavy travel costs and loss of wages.
   
To address this situation, FM has proposed to start a ‘National Dialysis Services Programme’. The Finance Minister has also proposed to exempt certain parts of dialysis equipment from basic customs duty, excise/CVD and SAD to further reduce the cost.
 
In order to make quality medicines available at affordable prices and reinvigorate the supply of generic drugs, the government plans to open 3,000 stores under Prime Minister’s Jan Aushadhi Yojana during 2016-17.
 
Expressing concern that a serious illness of family member(s) causes severe stress on the financial condition of poor and economically weak families, Arun Jaitley announced the launch of new health protection scheme to help such families. The scheme will provide health cover up-to Rs 1 lakh per family. For senior citizens of the age 60 years and above belonging to this category, an additional top-up package up to Rs 30,000 will be provided.