Kidney patients stage dharna at Praja Bhavan, demand Rs 10,000 pension

Hyderabad: A group of kidney patients staged a demonstration at Praja Bhavan on Friday demanding that the State government provide Rs 10,000 monthly pension on the lines of the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh government that extended the benefit to the patients.

Under the banner of the Association with Kidney Warriors Foundation, the patients assembled at the Praja Bhavan. They held placards and staged a silent demonstration.

The patients have also written a letter to the Chief Minister, A Revanth Reddy, to extend the monthly Rs 10,000 pension and provide employment for unemployed persons. Thanking the government for establishing dialysis centres in different districts for kidney patients, they said introducing Jeevandhan for organ donation was a major step forward.

However, the kidney transplant patients said they were facing some issues. They said, as per their nephrologist’s prescription, they are forced to take medicines daily, and this needs to continue lifelong. Aarogyasri transplant patient gets medicines worth Rs 9500, which covers only 50 per cent of the medicines prescribed by the nephrologists. This apart, the prices of other medicines were very high, they pointed out. Further, they also said the Aarogyasri Trust offers standard medicines to all transplant patients. But every patient needs different medicines as transplant varies for medical reasons.

“If cash assistance is extended or if patients are facilitated to order their prescribed medicines at discounted prices, it would be of great help,” they said.