A decision by the Assam government has created fresh problems for many patients suffering from chronic kidney disease who depend on regular dialysis. Protesting the decision to discontinue cashless dialysis services at private hospitals from July 1, hundreds of patients, relatives, and locals blocked a road in Dibrugarh on Monday.
According to the Assam government’s directive, certain dialysis services availed at privately empanelled hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and Ayushman Asom-Mukhya Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AA-MMJAY) will be stopped from July 1. These include long-term haemodialysis, emergency haemodialysis, placement of permanent tunneled catheters, and peritoneal dialysis.
Protesting the decision, dialysis patients and their relatives demonstrated on the road in front of Assam Medical College and Hospital on Monday. According to the protesters, if the facility running in private hospitals is shut down, many poor patients will face difficulties in continuing regular treatment.
The protesters said government hospitals lack adequate infrastructure to take on the additional patient load. They claimed that Assam Medical College and Hospital, one of the largest medical institutions in the region, currently has only 12 dialysis machines.
One protesting patient said, “This decision could put the lives of many poor people suffering from kidney disease at risk. The government should reconsider the matter.”
Another protester said, “My daughter needs dialysis three times a week. She cannot survive without this treatment. I request the Chief Minister to consider our plight and not stop this facility.”
Meanwhile, the protesters demanded government intervention to resolve the problems arising from the new decision. Patients fear that if services at private hospitals are discontinued, many people may face serious risks in continuing regular treatment.