Telangana govt focus on dialysis patients: Health Minister

Health Minister Etela Rajender on Wednesday said the Telangana government was offering free dialysis to patients across the State and was spending about Rs 1.80 lakh per head every annum towards meeting different expenditures under the service.

The Minister was replying to a question raised by TRS MLC S Subhash Reddy over insufficient beds and centres, in the Legislative Council here. “The State government will examine all possibilities to set up more dialysis centres across Telangana in addition to the existing 45 centres being operated in different areas offering quality and convenient service,” he said.

Stating that about 10,000 dialysis patients had been identified across the State, the Minister said in the advance stage, dialysis was the only option apart from kidney transplant. Currently, dialysis centres were being operated at government hospitals, area hospitals, community health centres and nine teaching hospitals in the State, he said.

Rajender said every centre was



equipped with five-10 beds. Depending on the patients’ registration, a few centres were being operated 24x7, he said. If required, a study will be conducted to examine the need for setting up more dialysis centres and with sufficient manpower and machinery, the Minister said.

Earlier, Reddy said at a few centres, patients were made to wait to get themselves registered using thumb impressions. He suggested to the Minister that he examine the registration of patients through IRIS or face detection, which was less time-consuming. The TRS MLC said in some centres, nephrologists were skipping duty, citing non-payment of travel and dearness allowances.

Rajender assured him that the government would address the issues. The Minister said the government decided to launch a ‘Telangana State Health Profile’. A pilot project was in progress at Chintamadaka and would be extended to entire Gajwel constituency. Based on its outcome, the project will be extended to the entire State.