Puducherry: Dialysis unit opened at JIPMER

Pudducherry: A 25-bedded, Rs 2.5 cr haemodialysis unit at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) has been opened to the people of the state .

A facility meant to provide regular dialysis to patients at affordable cost and for the poor-free. The high-income brackets are to pay Rs. 800 per dialysis.

Set up by P. Kannan from his Member of Parliament Local Area Development fund, when he was a lawmaker, the new unit was inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor, Kiran Bedi on Wednesday, in the presence of the former MP.

Appreciating Mr. Kannan efforts in having spent money on a life saving purpose, Ms. Bedi said "Those who can pay should pay and those who cannot afford should be given free medical service."

While Mr. Kannan expressed regret about the unit not having become operational during his tenure. "It was my pet project and it gives me immense satisfaction," he said. He urged the hospital authorities to set up a separate unit for snake bite patients and provide more facility at the trauma care unit.

Announcing his decision to donate his organs to the hospital for transplant on the occasion, Mr Kannan said "I have decided to donate my organs to JIPMER for patients who need transplants."

JIPMER, Director,Subash Chandra Parija who also spoke on the occasion said the hospital had significantly expanded its services for patients with kidney disease over the past few years.

Medical Superintendent, JIPMER J. Balachander & Additional Professor of Nephrology, Sreejith Parameswaran also spoke on the occassion.