Madurai to get 10 free dialysis units at Ansari Nagar PHC

Madurai: With kidney ailments on the rise and dialysis demand mounting, the Madurai Corporation has announced plans to establish a 10-unit dialysis centre at the Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) in Ansari Nagar, offering free treatment to patients.Health officials estimate that over 70,000 people in the city suffer from kidney-related conditions, including chronic kidney disease (CKD), acute kidney injury and renal failure. Of them, more than 15,000 require regular dialysis. To ease the load on GRH and cut waiting times, the Corporation is partnering with the TANKER Foundation to establish the new facility. A senior Corporation official said each dialysis unit would be set up at a cost of ₹12 lakh. "These units require clean-room infrastructure and strict sterile conditions. We are working closely with TANKER to ensure proper installation and maintenance," the official said. Once operational, the foundation will deploy its own technicians, and dialysis services will be provided free of cost to city patients. A doctor at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) said 60–65% of patients with diabetes and hypertension eventually develop kidney complications, many of whom need dialysis twice or thrice a week. Pointing to the financial burden, health activist C Anand Raj said dialysis in private hospitals costs upwards of ₹2,000 per session. "Inadequate dialysis units and a shortage of nephrologists and technicians often lead to long waiting periods, forcing patients to seek costly private treatment," he said. TANKER currently operates a 20-unit dialysis centre in Madurai, offering treatment either free or at a subsidised rate of ₹375 per session. It costs TANKER Rs 1,500 per dialysis, with the deficit covered by donations. Welcoming the move, TANKER Foundation managing trustee Latha Kumaraswami said, "Since the centre is located in the heart of the city, it is certain to be fully utilised." Samuel, who runs the centre in Madurai and Dindigul, also welcomed the decision by the corporation. Dr Arul Sundaresh Kumar, Dean of GRH, said the new centre would help reduce patient inflow and waiting time at the hospital. "The dialysis centre at GRH will continue to function round the clock, and critical cases will be referred here whenever necessary," he added.