A group of kidney patients held a protest in Hyderabad on Friday. They gathered at Praja Bhavan, asking the State government to give them a monthly pension of Rs 10,000. This is similar to what the neighboring Andhra Pradesh government provides for kidney patients.
The protest was organized under the banner of the Association with Kidney Warriors Foundation. The patients held placards and conducted a silent demonstration to raise awareness of their demands.
In addition to the protest, the group wrote a letter to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. In the letter, they requested the Rs 10,000 monthly pension and also asked for employment opportunities for unemployed individuals. They thanked the government for setting up dialysis centers across different districts and appreciated the introduction of the Jeevandhan program for organ donation.
However, the kidney transplant patients shared some of the challenges they face. They explained that they need to take daily medicines for the rest of their lives, as prescribed by their nephrologists. While the Aarogyasri scheme provides medicines worth Rs 9,500, this only covers 50% of the medicines they need. They also noted that the prices of other necessary medicines are very high.
The patients further explained that the Aarogyasri Trust offers standard medicines to all transplant patients, but each patient needs different medications due to varying medical conditions. They suggested that if financial help was provided or if patients could buy their prescribed medicines at discounted prices, it would be a big relief for them.
