Uttar Pradesh government is planning to start peritoneal dialysis (PD) facility for patients under its existing facilities where haemodialysis is provided under PPP mode, free of cost to patients.

The state health department has prepared a proposal for the facility under the private-public partnership mode.

Dr V.K. Singh, joint director medical care, Uttar Pradesh, said, "The proposal has been prepared. The facility will help patients who often ignore the illness or are unable to get PD done, particularly those in rural areas."

Dialysis is of two types. In haemodialysis, a machine filters wastes, salts and fluid from blood when kidneys are not healthy enough to do it.

In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of the body to a machine, and returned back. Haemodialysis removes wastes and water by circulating blood outside the body through an external filter, called a dialyzer.

Peritoneal dialysis is done to remove excess fluid, and remove toxins in those with kidney problems.

In Uttar Pradesh, 12,80,597 dialysis sessions have been conducted across districts, from which 14,134 patients have benefited from haemodialysis.

Since the beginning in 2017-18, 431 patients benefitted, in 2018-19 the number of beneficiaries went up to 1,664, in 2019-20 the beneficiaries numbered 2,937 and in 2020-21 there were 2,811 beneficiaries, according to the data from the Uttar Pradesh health department.

In 2021-22, a total 3,724 beneficiaries benefitted and in 2022, till September, 2,362 patients underwent dialysis at facilities located in government hospitals in the state.

The health department has now sought support from the national health mission for consumables to be used for PD.

"We have dialysis units set up across the state which are already functional. We just need equipment and consumables for PD that can be started immediately as we receive the same," said a senior health official. (SJ/IANS)