SRIKAKULAM: The State Cabinet’s decision of providing a monthly pension of Rs 2,500 appears to have disappointed the victims of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) in Uddanam region of Srikakulam district who say that the amount is far less than the adequate, given the high cost of treatment.Making it worse, the health officials say that of the 13,000 people who have been identified with higher serum creatinine levels in Uddanam, only 700 beneficiaries are eligible for the monthly benefit.
Citing the modalities of selection of the beneficiaries, the health officials say that only those who are undergoing dialysis procedure under the NTR Vaidya Seva scheme are eligible the monthly pension.
“Earlier, only the CKD victims with BPL cards were allowed for dialysis procedure under the NTR Vidya Seva scheme. Now, patients irrespective of their socio-economic status are being covered under the scheme. Of the 13,000 people found with higher serum creatinine levels, only 700 patients are undergoing dialysis procedure at the NTR Vidya Seva empanelled centres in the district,” says DM&HO S Tirupathi Rao, adding that they are yet to receive the details modalities from the government.
With no nephrology wing in the government hospitals including the RIMS, Srikakulam, in the district, majority of the patients go to Vizag for treatment. “I am spending not less than `10,000 a month on my treatment even as dialysis is performed free of cost.I need four injections costing around `500 each in a month, apart from other medicines. The treatment cost me around `4 lakh per annum and I need even more for accommodation, food and other daily needs. How can a mere `2,500 will be of any help?,” asks A Nelakantham, a patient.
What was recommended
A1,500
For victims in primary stage of infection
A3,500
For patients with creatinine levels between 3 to 5 mgdl
A7,500
For those in advanced stage with creatinine levels of more than 5 mgdl