Affordable dialysis in Delhi is set to expand across seven Municipal Corporation of Delhi hospitals under a public-private partnership model, with the civic body planning rates below those currently charged under the Central Government Health Scheme. The service is expected to begin within four to five months and could provide treatment to about 3,600 patients every month.
The MCD is preparing a tender for the expansion after starting dialysis services on a pilot basis at Tilak Nagar Colony Hospital. According to MCD officials cited in the report, the pilot was implemented through a PPP arrangement and was considered successful. The civic body now plans to refine the model and extend it to seven hospitals.
The planned centres include the facility at Fatehpuri Beri, Balakram Hospital, Swami Dayanand Hospital, Hindu Rao Hospital, Purnima Sethi Hospital and Mata Gujri Hospital, along with the existing centre at Tilak Nagar Colony Hospital. Each hospital is expected to have 10 dialysis units. Services will be available from Monday to Saturday.
MCD officials said the expanded network could handle about 140 patients a day. Using an average estimate of 120 patients daily, the civic body expects the hospitals together to serve approximately 3,600 patients each month. The expansion is intended to address the shortage of dialysis centres that has made regular treatment difficult for some patients in Delhi.
Dialysis is required in cases including chronic kidney disease, kidney failure, acute kidney injury, severe cases of nephrotic syndrome and end-stage polycystic kidney disease. The treatment often requires repeated visits, making the cost and location of centres significant factors for patients and their families.
At the Tilak Nagar facility, the service is currently being provided at CGHS rates. The MCD said the new tender would be designed to secure prices below those rates. Depending on the category of patient, CGHS dialysis charges currently range from Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per session, according to the report. The contract will be awarded to the agency or institution offering the lowest rate below the CGHS benchmark.
The proposed arrangement will also allow patients receiving treatment through the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana to use the facility, according to MCD officials. This could bring the service within the public health coverage framework for eligible Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries, although access will depend on the final tender and implementation arrangements.
The MCD is currently working on the tender. The civic body expects the dialysis services at the additional hospitals to become operational within four to five months, subject to completion of the procurement process and installation of the planned units.
