A day care centre in south Kolkata has begun full-fledged dialysis services at Rs 200 per session, creating a lower-cost treatment option for patients who require regular renal care. The RDB Nahar JITO Day Care Centre on Ramesh Mitra Road near Bhowanipur Post Office has moved its dialysis unit from the trial phase to regular operations.
The centre currently has 12 dialysis machines and can handle up to 42 patients a day, according to information reported by the Times of India. It is presently serving about 36 to 38 patients daily. The subsidised service is intended especially for patients from economically weaker sections, for whom repeated dialysis sessions can impose a substantial and continuing financial burden.
The facility plans to add two more dialysis machines as demand rises. The expansion is expected to increase the number of patients who can receive treatment at the subsidised rate, although the centre has not specified when the additional machines will become operational.
The commencement of regular services was marked on Wednesday in the presence of state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul. Vinod Dugar, president of the RDB Nahar JITO Day Care Centre; Bhaven Kamdar, honorary general secretary; and Pradeep Patwa, convener of the centre, also attended the event.
The centre brings three specialised healthcare units together under one roof: the Kiran Devi Dharam Chandra Pugalia Dialysis Centre, the UCO Bank Dialysis Centre and the Manaswi Dugar Thalassemia Centre. The combined facility is designed to support patients needing long-term and recurring medical care.
Alongside dialysis services, the Manaswi Dugar Thalassemia Centre will provide dedicated care for thalassemia patients. An entire floor has been assigned to thalassemia care by Sheetal Dugar, chairperson of the JITO Ladies Wing Apex, in memory of her daughter Manasvi Dugar’s experience with the condition.
Vinod Dugar said the full-fledged service was intended to ensure that financial constraints did not prevent patients from accessing essential treatment, particularly when care was required repeatedly over a long period. Minister Agnimitra Paul said initiatives of this kind could improve access to essential healthcare and help economically weaker patients receive necessary treatment more easily.
The centre’s next stated step is the addition of two dialysis machines to respond to demand and expand subsidised treatment capacity.
