Govt to bring home dialysis treatment under MHIS: Ampareen

Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Friday informed that the department is proposing to provide ‘home dialysis treatment’ for patients.

“Right now we are also trying the option of having home dialysis. But then again, the home dialysis treatment is not covered under the cashless of MHIS plan. So with the passage and progress of time we realise that we need to update and upgrade our ability to provide medical treatment for residents of the state,” she said.

The minister said she is going to talk about home dialysis and try to see whether or not home dialysis for chronic patients will be a reality for our citizens. According to her, the government will try to see if such medical treatment can be covered under the MHIS in order to take the workload of the dialysis centre in Shillong civil hospital.

“Home dialysis is a little on the steeper part of expenditure, it will cost anything between Rs 20,000 to Rs 30000.  If we are able to provide those medical solutions used in home dialysis treatment under the MHIS package at least for the literate patients this will be something, which is going to be a reality,” she said.

She also assured to see that the dialysis treatment is improved in every district headquarters of the state.

On her recent visit to Shillong civil hospital, the minister informed that the dialysis equipment is in good order.

“The three dialysis equipment machines that were brought by NEC are in good condition, we have three by the CSR projects, we have six dialysis machines in the civil hospital currently. Of the six, four can be operationalized fully,” she said.

“Yes, I was told after my visit to the Civil Hospital that between the 1, 2 to the 10 of May, there was a breakdown because of the RO that broke down but subsequent to that we are functioning right now. And we hope now to also ensure that dialysis centres are given at least district hospitals to avoid this pressure in civil hospitals and we now realize that it has become a chronic requirement in the state of Meghalaya and we are on the job,” she stated.