With the State government issuing an order to establish dialysis facilities in upgraded Primary Health Centres (PHC) and run them through Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association (SDPGA) has registered its objection.
The association has stated that dialysis is a tertiary care service that requires technicians under the supervision of physicians, and engaging private players to run dialysis units may lead to full-fledged privatisation in the future.
Under this, the Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has been given the responsibility to run the dialysis units through the PPP model. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the association said that PHCs are mainly focused on primary prevention aspects of the health system.
As Tamil Nadu is seeing an increase in Non Communicable Diseases involving high blood pressure, diabetes, heart and kidney ailments, PHCs should be strengthened in early identification of risk factors to prevent further damages. Bringing a tertiary service will divert from their main role.
The SDPGA said that engaging the private sector in the government setup may lead to full privatisation in the future. Introducing the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme in PHCs is the next step to ask medical officers to earn and meet out all expenses similar to what is happening now in the health institutions under the directorates of Medical and Rural Health Services and Medical Education and Research.
Currently, dialysis facilities are available in all district headquarters hospitals and medical college hospitals without private partners. SDPGA demanded the government to expand the same kind of dialysis services to taluk and non taluk hospitals.
Published – June 26, 2025 12:52 am IST
