3L patients used Centre’s free dialysis scheme in 2 yrs

Around three lakh people across the country have received 26.39 lakh dialysis sessions in the last two years since the launch of the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP) by the Centre. Gujarat tops the list with 77,829 beneficiaries and 7,02,255 sessions followed by Karnataka (40,228, 2,72,520), West Bengal (34,808, 2,01,591) and Andhra Pradesh( 30,801,  4,38,579).

However, this seems too little given that about 2.2 lakh new patients of end stage renal disease and chronic kidney cases, majorly from the poor sector, get added in India every year resulting in additional demand for 3.4 crore dialysis sessions.

The Union Health Ministry is providing support under its flagship scheme, National Health Mission (NHM) to States and Union Territories for dialysis services free of cost to the poor under the PMNDP.

However, medicos said that focus should be on advocacy on the right diet too which can help slow progress of the CKD and need for dialysis by  improving blood sugar control and blood pressure. More so, when the CKDs are witnessing sharp rise in cases.

However, focus on right diet does not seem to be the Government’s priority.

Dr Georgi Abraham, eminent nephrologist and Professor of Medicine, Pondycherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Puducherry, cites findings from one of his studies which noted that about 42 to 77 per cent kidney patients undergoing dialysis treatment at different hospitals are malnourished. He said that targeted interventions directed at improving the nutritional status of the patients could have a major impact on reducing the burden of CKD in India.

Senior nephrologist from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Dr. Manish Malik agrees. He says, “Scope of treatment in allopathy is very less, is costly and not fully successful as well. Hence, balanced diet and ayurvedic cost-effective drugs like Neeri KFT based on herbs can help all those kidney patients who are under the regular dialysis.”

Sanchit Sharma, from Aimil Pharma, which manufactures Neeri-KFT among other herbal drugs said that it (NEERI KFT) is a kidney protective formula based on unique combination of drugs such as Punernava, developed after more than a decade of research.

In fact, a scientific study published in The Indo American Journal of Pharmaceutical research which gauged the efficacy of Punernava and other established kidney protective herbs in the NEERI KFT showed promising results in experimental subjects as it significantly prevented and reduced the increased levels of kidney function parameters such as serum creatinine, uric acid and electrolytes besides helping maintain histological parameter of kidneys.