Kidney patients press govt. for cost free dialysis

Kathmandu / April 14: The National Kidney Victims Association, Nepal today raised a clamour calling on the government for making lifelong dialysis and kidney transplants free of cost by provisioning it in the national budget.

The Association demanded immediate implementation of the organ donation and transplant related act endorsed recently by the parliament. It also insisted on embedding curriculum from the lower secondary level on education related to kidney diseases.

The kidney victims also staged a one and a half hours sit in at the southern gate of Singha Durbar this morning to exert pressure to get their demands addressed.

Association Chairman, Samir Kumar Pokharel, said the kidney victims should be enlisted as differently-abled persons and provided concession in the public transport fare.

The victims have also demanded a provision allowing the Association to make compulsory recommendation at the recommendation of Differently Abled Citizen Treatment and Relief Committee.

The actual data on the number of kidney patients in Nepal is still lacking, but nine per cent of the total population is assumed to suffer from the disease. At least 90 per cent of the kidney victims are suffering from both kidney failures.

If people can be made aware on the disease in time around 90 per cent patients’ kidney can be saved, according to the Association. RSS