Alpha Palliative opens Dialysis Centre with 15 machines

Satheesan Master, a native of Perinjanam, who is to receive the first dialysis service by the newly-opened Dialysis Centre with 15 machines at Alpha Palliative Care, Edamuttom, lights the lamp at the premises as a marking of the beginning of operations. Also seen are Thaira Mujeeb, PRO; E V Ramesan, CPO; Jithin George, Dialysis Supervisor; K A Kadeejabi, CEO; V J Thomson, Governing Council Member and Suresh Sreedharan, Community Director are also seen.

Edamuttam-based Alpha Palliative Care, one of the pioneering palliative care centres in the state, with 17 link centres across four districts, has opened a dialysis centre at its Edamuttam facilities with 15 number of dialysis machines. The centre was formally inaugurated via online by Dr. Sushma Bhatnagar, Palliative Medicine Head, AIIMS, New Delhi and President, Indian Association of Palliative Care in a function presided over by K M Noordeen, Chairman, Alpha Palliative Trust. In his presidential speech, Mr. Noordeen said, like all other services of Alpha, the dialysis services will also be rendered fully free of charge. The Centre aims to provide around 1000 dialysises in a month through a three-shift 6-day week schedule. For the effective running of the centre, Alpha will recruit volunteers from the general public who may voluntarily come forward to work for the good cause, he added.

Mr Noordeen pointed out that kidney disease is on the rise in Kerala and the problems suffered by end-stage renal patients are similar to problems suffered from any other chronic disease like cancer, though their physical issues are different. Kidney transplants are also out of reach for the majority of the patients due to various reasons and the only way to sustain life for them is to depend on dialysis. Treatment costs and high priced medicines also make a lot of patients poorer and Alpha has decided to set up a full-fledged dialysis centre with 15 German-made Fresenius machines considering all these issues, he added.

Because of the rise in the number o diabetic patients and elderly population in the country, demand for dialysis and palliative care is also on the rise while there is a shortage of dialysis machines across the country. On other other hand, as the average lifespan of an Indian in 1951 was 42, presently it is around 69. The country has 83 million people above the age of 60 today which is going to be 330 million by 2050. Consequently, the people needing palliative care and dialysis care are bound to increase several times, he explained.

He also said Alpha Palliative Care has been providing palliative home care, day care and in-patient hospice care to people suffering from various chronic diseases like cancer, Parkinson’s disease etc and those suffering due to age-related debilities for the past 16 years. In December 2020 alone, 3,417 home care visits by doctors and nurses were conducted by Alpha using 31 dedicated home care vehicles from 17 Link Centers spread across 4 districts of Kerala. 3,242 visits by patients to the Punarjani centers also took place in the same month.

The inaugural function of the Dialysis Centre was also addressed by Dr. Col Yashvant Joshi, National board member, SAPC; Dr. Geetha Joshi,CEO, Community oncology, Ahmedabad; Dr. Mami Parija, UP; Dr. Sukdev Nayak, Former President IAPC & National board member, SAPC; Dr. Piyush Gupata, Secretary & PEO, Cancer Aid Society, UP; Ravi Kannampillil, Trustee, Alpha Charitable Trust; Girish Menon, president , Alpha Palliative Council, UAE; Ramesh Warrier, General Secretary, Alpha Palliative Council, UAE and Suresh Sreedharan, Community Director, Alpha Palliative Council.