Ujire : To support economically underprivileged patients, SDM Multispecialty Hospital has launched a free dialysis scheme worth ₹1.40 crore annually, said Dr. Hemavati V. Heggade after inaugurating the free dialysis services at SDM Multispecialty Hospital in Ujire.

Dialysis patients require continuous care and incur significant expenses for their treatment. This becomes a challenge for economically weaker patients, as their savings are often spent entirely on such medical care. To address this, free dialysis services have been initiated as per the vision of Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade, she said.

Several initiatives to support the economically underprivileged and needy have been undertaken by Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala. As part of this, ‘Sampurna Suraksha,’ a comprehensive health insurance for patients has also been implemented, she informed.

Speaking on the occasion, Hospital Managing Director M. Janardhan highlighted that the dialysis services were introduced at SDM Multispecialty Hospital in January 2022. The hospital has 11 dialysis machines in an air-conditioned facility. More than 30 dialysis sessions are conducted daily, and over 10,000 dialysis procedures have been completed so far. The facility has been a boon for patients in and around Beltangady taluk. The introduction of the free dialysis services is expected to further benefit many patients, he added.

Each dialysis session costs ₹1,500, and patients typically require 3 to 4 sessions per week. With the introduction of the free dialysis services, patients can save between ₹12,000 and ₹24,000 per month. Under the scheme, each patient is eligible for up to 12 free dialysis sessions monthly.

In addition to this, SDM Multispecialty Hospital has provided free medical services worth ₹4.98 crore in the year 2024 and had organized over 40 free medical camps in rural areas during the year.

Dr. Satvik Jain, Physician; Dr. Balakrishna Bhat, General Physician; Dr. Devendra, Medical Superintendent; and other hospital staff members were present. The program was compered by Dr. Anusha, and Liaison Officer Chidanand delivered the vote of thanks.