Subsidised dialysis in Kolkata has begun at Rs 200 per session at the RDB Nahar JITO Day Care Centre in south Kolkata, offering lower-cost renal care to patients who require repeated treatment. The centre’s dialysis unit has moved from its trial phase to full-fledged operations at 12/1, Ramesh Mitra Road, near Bhowanipur Post Office.
The facility currently has 12 dialysis machines and can handle up to 42 patients a day. It is serving around 36 to 38 patients daily, according to information released about the centre’s operations. The service is intended particularly for patients from economically weaker sections, for whom the recurring cost of dialysis can become a major financial burden.
The centre also plans to install two additional dialysis machines. The expansion is expected to increase the number of patients who can receive treatment at the subsidised rate, although no timeline for adding the machines was specified in the report.
The start of regular services was marked on Wednesday in the presence of West Bengal 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, were also present.
The dialysis facility brings together the Kiran Devi Dharam Chandra Pugalia Dialysis Centre and the UCO Bank Dialysis Centre under the same premises. The centre also houses the Manaswi Dugar Thalassemia Centre, creating three specialised healthcare units for patients requiring regular and long-term medical care.
The thalassemia unit will provide dedicated care for patients with the condition. An entire floor has been dedicated to thalassemia care by Sheetal Dugar, chairperson of the JITO Ladies Wing Apex, who was inspired by her daughter Manasvi Dugar’s experience with thalassemia.
Vinod Dugar said the move to full-fledged services was aimed at ensuring that financial constraints do not prevent patients from accessing essential treatment, particularly when care is 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.
With current daily attendance below the centre’s stated capacity and two more machines planned, the next operational step is the expansion of the dialysis unit. The centre’s regular subsidised service will continue from its south Kolkata facility, according to the information released about the initiative.
