Rotary signs MoU with Fairfax Foundation for expanding dialysis service
Rotary in India has signed an MoU with the Fairfax India Charitable Foundation to put up, in a partnership of 75:25, dialysis machines to serve the underprivileged in government hospitals across the country.
The MoU was signed in Mumbai recently between the Foundation CEO Abraham Alapatt with all the district governors representing Maharashtra State. RI Director Bharat Pandya, who has launched a massive drive across the country on prevention of non-communicable diseases, said the Foundation had negotiated with vendors effective costing under which a dialysis machine would cost ₹4.3 lakh with an extended warranty of five years. To begin with, the districts in Maharashtra would work with Fairfax to set up the dialysis machines in the State; Rotary would raise 75 per cent of the amount, with Fairfax adding the rest.
Alapatt explained that the Foundation had embarked on this mission to set up 1,000 dialysis machines across India as in a recent meeting of Fairfax India CEO with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the PM had asked him to take up a dialysis project as there is a big gap in demand for dialysis and the facilities available in India. “We’ve already put up about 500 across the country; we work with the Central Health Ministry, and set up the machines in the district hospitals. The model works on a public-private partnership; the government provides the building and we provide the machines.”
Under the PM’s insurance scheme, the dialysis, which costs at least ₹2,000 or more in a private hospital, is completely free of cost for BPL patients. Typically, to make it viable, one unit requires about five machines; 90 centres are already operational under this scheme, he said.
Dr Pandya said at present there are about 3,600 machines in Maharashtra and most of them in big cities and towns. This project will help reach dialysis to poor patients in areas deficient in this service. “We want to implement this project pan India, but today as the DGs from Maharashtra are present, we will begin with this State.” Once Rotarians raise the money for dialysis machines, the Rotary logo will be on it and “if the majority or all the machines in a centre are provided by Rotary, or a single club, such as RC Bombay, then its name will be displayed at the entrance of that centre.”
He thanked Rtn Rakesh Bhargav from RID 3131 for doing the groundwork for this MoU. RIPN Shekhar Mehta, RI Director Kamal Sanghvi and TRF Trustee Gulam Vahanvaty were also present during the signing of the MoU.
