Daijiworld Media Network - Jammu

Jammu, Dec 4: Free dialysis services under the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme (PMNDP) have emerged as a lifeline for thousands of kidney patients in Poonch district, where limited accessibility has long hindered access to advanced healthcare facilities. The initiative, aimed at Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, is significantly easing the burden on patients who previously had to travel to Chandigarh, Jammu, or Srinagar for regular treatment.

At Raja Sukhdev Singh District Hospital in Poonch, the dialysis centre is now serving patients not only from the district but also from neighbouring areas, completely free of cost. Beneficiaries have expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring world-class care reaches even remote and border regions.

With six dialysis beds currently in operation, the unit attends to 250–300 patients every month. Caretakers and patients have requested an expansion to 15–20 beds to meet the growing demand.

The hospital’s Medical Superintendent said the facility has revolutionised healthcare for local residents, eliminating the need for long and costly journeys for life-sustaining treatment.

Launched in 2016–17, the PMNDP aims to provide free haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis services at district hospitals nationwide under the National Health Mission (NHM). The programme has enabled the establishment of thousands of dialysis units across the country, benefitting lakhs of economically vulnerable patients.