Hundreds of dialysis patients, their relatives, and local residents took to the streets in Dibrugarh on Tuesday, blocking the road leading to Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in protest of a state government decision to discontinue cashless dialysis services at private empanelled hospitals from July 1. The demonstration was sparked by a recent government notification that withdraws coverage for several dialysis-related procedures at private healthcare facilities under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and the Ayushman Asom-Mukhya Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AA-MMJAY). The order specifically excludes chronic haemodialysis, acute haemodialysis, permanent tunnelled catheter placement, and peritoneal dialysis from coverage under the schemes at private empanelled hospitals.
Protesters expressed concern that this move would place an enormous burden on government hospitals, which they claim lack the infrastructure and capacity to accommodate the resulting increase in patients. AMCH, the region’s primary tertiary care centre, currently operates only 12 dialysis machines, which protesters argue is insufficient to meet the demand. Many poor patients suffering from chronic kidney disease will die because of this decision, said one of the protesters participating in the road blockade. The decision has also sparked emotional appeals from families who rely on the dialysis services. _My daughter cannot survive without dialysis.
I request the Chief Minister to reconsider and not take away the only support that is keeping our children alive_, said a demonstrator whose daughter requires dialysis three times a week, appealing directly to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to reconsider the decision.
