After waiting 5 months for CM, IGMCH starts using dialysis centre

NAGPUR: Ready for last five months, the dialysis centre at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH) was waiting for chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to cut the ribbon. On Friday, the centre was thrown opened for patients informally. The formal inauguration will be done next week by MLA Vikas Kumbhare, who heads

IGMCH

’s board of visitors committee.

IGMCH dean Dr Meenakshi Gajbhiye told TOI, “This move has been taken for the poor. There was a long list of patients needing immediate attention. We had been waiting for the CM’s visit, and for him we even thought of waiting till the winter assembly session. But somewhere in my mind, I knew that would be very late.”

The centre has been developed in association with Pune-based Yashasvi Group. TOI had on October 17 reported that the centre is ready for the past four-five months but Yashasvi is not admitting patients for want of formal inauguration.

Gajbhiye said, “Some 15 days ago I wrote them a letter to the group, saying that within 15 days the centre should be operational for patients. The group communicated with higher authorities and agreed to start the centre.”

Fadnavis had given his nod to attend the inauguration on October 9 but the programme had to be postponed to October 23 since minister of medical education Girish Mahajan was unavailable. Thereafter, the inauguration was postponed once again as the chief minister changed his plan at the last minute and flew to Shirdi to attend a BJP programme.

With Friday’s inauguration, patients have started receiving dialysis at Rs400. The centre is a 20-bedded dialysis unit and in last five months it could have benefited more than 5,000 patients. Gajbhiye said, “The patients covered under

Rajeev Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojna

will receive free dialysis here.”

Even the chief of the board of visitors is happy with the step taken by the college. Kumbhare said, “The move is going to benefit the poor requiring dialysis. This decision should have been taken long ago in consultation with the CM. But it’s never too late.”