Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo today said that all District Hospitals (DHs) of Jammu and Kashmir would have functional Dialysis Centres by July 2020 adding that even as the facility is already available in majority of DHs.He said this while chairing a meeting convened to review implementation of Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme under National Health Mission, here at the Civil Secretariat.The dialysis programme is aimed at to provide improved access to dialysis services at district headquarters and to reduce impoverishment on account of out-of-pocket expenditure for patients, who have to undergo important life-saving procedure.During the review meeting, the FC was informed that Dialysis Centres have been established in Jammu, Udhampur, Rajouri, Kathua, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar, Srinagar, Anantnag, Baramulla, Pulwama, Kulgam and Kupwara and 70 dialysis machines have been provided through Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, free of cost for the purpose. The FC was further informed that Dialysis Centre for District Hospital Samba is also approved this financial year, while the Dialysis Centres at the DHs Ramban, Reasi, Ganderbal and Shopian are proposed to be established in the next financial year.
Financial Commissioner, further said that the government is going to start Peritoneal Dialysis in the District Hospitals of Anantnag, Baramulla and Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar Jammu, and Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial Hospital Srinagar, on a pilot basis.The estimated cost for Peritoneal Dialysis per patient on monthly basis ranges from Rs 1800 to Rs 26,400 but the services shall be free for BPL patients.The meeting also decided that District Hospitals Anantnag and Baramulla will be provided extra 4 dialysis machines each to cater to the huge rush of patients at the hospitals.The meeting was further informed that in the year 2019, 11,689 dialysis sessions have been held during which 273 patients have availed services under the dialysis programme.The meeting was attended by Director Health Services, Jammu, Dr Renu Khajuria; Mission Director, National Health Mission, Bhupinder Kumar; Joint Director (Planning) H&ME, Madan Lal and other senior officers.Director Health Services, Kashmir along with Chief Medical Officers of Kashmir division attended the meeting though video conferencing.