The Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) said that the service will be free even at private hospitals and nursing homes. The ministry has decided to refund the cost of the free service provided to patients. [break]
According to Dr Tirtha Raj Burlakoti, chief of Curative Division at MoHP, the ministry will refund the cost of the service to hospitals that reach an agreement with the government.
"We have invited private hospitals and nursing homes to enter into the agreement. We will refund the cost to those that agreed with the conditions set by the ministry," Dr Burlakoti said.
The ministry has decided to provide Rs 2,500 to the centers for each dialysis session under the free service arrangement.
MoHP said that about a dozen hospitals and nursing homes have already signed the agreement with the ministry and several others are also interested.
Dr Pukar Chandra Shrestha, chief of Human Organ Transplant Centre, which is known as the kidney hospital, said that the centre will reached an agreement with the ministry soon.
"We have already received the proposal from the ministry. The proposal will benefit us a lot," Dr Shrestha added.
The centre has been providing its service for only Rs 250 per session.
Dr Shrestha said that the Arogya Foundation, which has also been providing a service at minimal cost, will work out an agreement with the ministry. "We will be happy to serve patients for free," he said adding,"The ministry will compensate us for the free service."
The National Kidney Centre, which has been serving hundreds of renal patients, said it will also reach an agreement with the government soon.
According to Dr Hrishi Kaphley, executive director of the centre, the government has also invited the centre to sign an agreement. The centre has been charging Rs 3,000 for each dialysis session.
Patients whose both kidneys have failed have to have a dialysis at least twice a week. Some private centers have been charging over Rs 5,000 per dialysis.
Dr Kaphley said that the ministry has to clarify some points with the centre. "We will ask the ministry for the money in advance. We cannot wait for long as we have been running with the money we get from the service," he added.
Dr Kaphley said that all renal patients will opt for the free service and come with recommendation letters from the District Public Health Office (DPHO).
Dr Burlakoti, however, said that the conditions set by the ministry are only optional. "We will not compel hospitals to provide their service at the rate fixed by the ministry. We will refund the cost only to those who comply with our conditions," he said.
He said that the ministry has been collecting data on renal patients to formulate a policy on free service. The ministry said that the number of kidney patients has been increasing due to changes in lifestyle.
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