The Telangana state government that has been providing free dialysis treatment to kidney patients has crossed 50 lakh sessions.
The government spent Rs 700 crore for the purpose and increased the number of dialysis centres by 28 percent across the state.
The facility has come as a blessing to the poor and needy patients.
One Yalam Munaiah of Balannagudem, Mangapet mandal, Mulugu districts said earlier he used to travel 140 kilometres to Hanamonda private hospital. It used to cost him Rs 1,300 including travel expenses. Now the state government set up a dialysis centre at Eturunagaram, just 30 kilometers away. He could complete the dialysis session in one hour and all for free.
Health minister T Harish Rao said in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, the dialysis facility was available only at Gandhi, Osmania, and NIMS hospitals and it remained inaccessible to the poor and needy patients in far-flung areas of the state.
In the separate Telangana, a total of 82 centres were set up and it would soon be raised to 120. Presently, an estimated 12,000 kidney patients were there in the state of which 10,000 patients are availing the services for free under Arogyasri scheme. They were given free bus passes, pensions, and medicines by the government.
By Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao