World kidney day is celebrated every year on the second Thursday of March. The theme of this year is ‘Advancing equitable access to care and optimal medication practice’. The first Department of Nephrology in India was started at the Government General Hospital and the Premier Institute of Madras Medical College in Tamil Nadu in December 1971. The State has crossed many milestones since, including running a successful dialysis programme under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) — only Tamil Nadu and Kerala run a hemodialysis programme at government hospitals without opting for the PPP model — and delivering peritoneal dialysis bags at the doorstep of patients through the Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme, launched by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in 2021 to provide healthcare at the doorstep of patients including screening, drug delivery, and palliative care. But there is still a long road towards the goal of ensuring kidney health for all.
Chronic kidney disease is the fifth leading cause of mortality in Tamil Nadu. This means that Tamil Nadu needs special attention compared to most other States. A recent step survey, conducted by the Institute of Nephrology and Institute of Community Medicine, Madras Medical College, estimated chronic kidney disease to be prevalent in 8.4% of the adult population of Tamil Nadu; 0.3% will require dialysis immediately. With diabetes and hypertension increasing in the population, the burden of chronic kidney disease will only increase. This will impact not only the health of the people, but also the economy. Every year, the Tamil Nadu government spends more than ₹100 crore for hemodialysis alone for the CMCHIS; this is the highest amount being spent on one disease.
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