Gurgaon Expands Free Dialysis Amid Urban-Rural Healthcare Disparities |

Gurgaon: State-run hospitals have started to see new patients of chronic kidney disease sign up for dialysis after the BJP govt announced an expansion of the facility at govt centres to come good on its election promise, part of its campaign that won it a third straight term in office.
In the past one week, Gurgaon’s lone govt hospital in Sector 10 has already added 10 patients seeking dialysis, while its Faridabad counterpart has seen six admissions. At present, free dialysis is available at the state’s 22 district hospitals and three medical colleges — Kalpana Chawla Medical College in Karnal, Shaheed Hassan Khan Mewati Medical College in Nuh, and Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Medical College, Rohtak.
Last year, some 1.6 lakh dialysis sessions were carried out at these centres. With the govt’s plan to expand the services, health officials expect the numbers to almost double this year.
Anticipating this surge, the state govt is planning to procure more machines, engage specialists and run dialysis centres 24×7.
Chirag, who is managing one such centre at the Sector 10 hospital in Gurgaon, couldn’t agree more.
“In the past one week, we have already received more than 100 inquiries about centres offering free dialysis in Haryana. We cater to patients from nearby rural areas as well. But if there’s a surge, we must scale up operations,” he added.
The dialysis centre at this hospital has 10 machines, each of which can handle three sessions a day. The Faridabad hospital has 13 machines in total, and plans to procure four more.
But how is Haryana planning to handle this surge?
Gurgaon’s chief medical officer, Virender Yadav, said they were drawing up expansion plans.
“We can increase the number of shifts and run the centres 24×7 if there is a need. Machines can be added as well. We are working on an expansion plan, which will be implemented soon,” he added.
But expanding dialysis centres to rural areas is easier said than done.
“I agree that these centres can’t be operated at all health facilities. You need highly trained doctors and staff to effectively control the spread of infection. But an expansion from the current scenario can always be targeted,” Yadav told TOI.
Until the infrastructure is ramped up, chronic kidney patients from villages will have little option but to make an arduous commute to hospitals in the cities.
Among them is Charan Das, a 45-year-old insurance agent. His nearest health centre is 40 minutes away.
Das, who would pay Rs 3,000 at a private hospital for every dialysis earlier, now gets it for free at BK Government Hospital in Faridabad. His kidneys are damaged and can’t filter blood properly, needing regular transfusion through dialysis.
Mamta Devi, a 46-year-old patient from Pataudi, takes a train to Gurgaon and then an auto-rickshaw from the station to Sector 10 govt hospital for a free dialysis session. And she has to undertake this journey thrice a week.
“This has been my routine for the past seven years,” she said. “Now that the govt is planning to expand this free service, I hope I’ll be able to get dialysis done closer home some day,” she added.
Mamta said she’s lucky on days her husband – who works with a marketing firm – can manage time from office to drive her to the dialysis centre. “Some private centres are nearby. But not everyone can afford to spend on dialysis when it has to be done on a regular basis,” she added.
A chronic kidney patient needs 10 to 12 sessions a month, costing anything between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000, which excludes expenses for lab tests and medications.
For the past five months, Pushpa Devi (47) of Lakshman Vihar has been on a “pilgrimage” to her dialysis centre twice a week.
“My husband lost his job during the pandemic. My software engineer son has been sustaining the family. I have heard about the govt’s plans. That will help a number of people like us. But the govt must set up more dialysis centres first as the demand for this free service will grow manifold,” she said.
Veenit Diman (37) – who is raising two young daughters – has been struggling to sustain his family with the dialysis sessions.
“I have to get this done three to four times a week. This is a backbreaking journey for a patient like me. But what option do I have? The govt offers this service for free. But such hospitals are far and few,” he told TOI.
Kamlesh Mishra (48) had to give up his job at a multinational corporation after being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. He, too, needs to make regular visits to the hospital for dialysis.
“My family is my unwavering support. Every time I go for dialysis, they keep me optimistic,” he added.
Dr Sheela, nodal officer for the dialysis centre at BK Hospital in Faridabad, said they planned to augment infrastructure.
“For the past two years, we have been getting 70-80 patients daily. We plan to introduce more shifts in a day soon. We have increased the number of beds to 13 from eight. We will ramp it up further to 17,” she told TOI.
But increasing the shifts or beds alone won’t serve the purpose. The govt also needs more specialist doctors and nurses.
Dr Deepti Pehal, an infection control nursing officer, said every nurse at a dialysis centre must be equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE), which includes gloves, masks, and gowns, especially during procedures that involve exposure to blood or bodily fluids.
Regular cleaning and disinfection of dialysis units is of paramount importance. These include cleaning treatment chairs, machines and common areas.
“We must take care so that infection doesn’t spread. Because these patients are immunocompromised. We must be extremely vigilant with the transfusion,” Dr Pehal said.
Dr Pragati, a nephrologist in the city, said lack of awareness and early detection was a critical challenge, which means the disease is discovered only at a later stage.
“Plus, the lack of nephrologists in Tier 2 and 3 cities further delays emergency treatment,” she explained.
According to a central govt report, around 2.2 lakh patients with end-stage renal disease are added each year across the country, placing immense pressure on an already strained dialysis sector, which currently serves about 1.8 lakh patients. With fewer than 6,500 kidney transplants performed annually, the demand for dialysis far exceeds the supply, the report says.