Sponsor dialysis for poor patients by MESCO Modern Educational Social & Cultural Organization

Dialysis patients residing in Mumbai & Thane region receive financial aid for their 6 months dialysis expenses. Keeping in mind the social distancing norms we had arranged telephonic registrations for our dialysis beneficiaries instead of a physical form distribution program. A total of 73 beneficiaries registered out of which 23 beneficiaries were selected for April 2021 –September 2021 cycle. 22 beneficiaries received Financial aid for 6 months of dialysis expenses and all were issued cheques in the name of the hospital. A cheque is issued quarterly.

Under 6 months Dialysis schemes, for the issue of form we usually arrange a "Form distribution program" in which patients are selected through a lottery system in presence of all the beneficiaries. Selected beneficiaries have to submit their duly filled form with the required documents. After the sanctioned and approval procedure, patients are issued Cheque in the name of the dialysis centres. But due to Covid-19 norms we were not able to arrange the form distribution program due to the gathering of patients, to avoid this MESCO has arranged the telephonic registration procedure for the dialysis patients. After the form filling process patients were not able to come to the office for the collection of cheques due to transportation problems this was overcome by transferring the amount quarterly through the NEFT payment method directly to the dialysis centre. For the next 6 months, MESCO will be conducting the same procedure for the 2nd cycle of the Dialysis scheme for the period of Oct 2021-March 2022. If Covid 19 situation improves, MESCO will organize a World kidney day program for the dialysis beneficiaries through which dialysis patients will be guided by the Nephrologist and Dietician for their health-related issues.

Impact story from the ground: Master Nikhil Kumar is an 11 years young boy. Unlike other boys of his age, he is struggling to live the rest of his life peacefully. He has been diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure in 2020. From 2020 onwards he is on regular maintenance haemodialysis thrice a week. The patient undergoes 03 dialyses per week i.e. 12 dialyses p.m. at Bai Jerbai Wadia hospital for Children, the cost per dialysis is Rs. 750/-. Nikhils father needs to keep plugging away day and night to meet the funds for the survival of the family and medical expenses of Nikhil. He serves as a security guard and also does some odd jobs and manages to earn Rs. 8,000/- p.m. Family consists of 05 members, they stay with their relatives as they don’t own any house and also are unable to pay the rent. They manage the dialysis expenses through various trusts assistance. The medicines and Injection expenses amount to Rs. 3000/- p.m. Fortunately he got selected in the lottery process at MESCO and was supported for 6 months of Dialysis expenses through which his family breathes a sigh of relief. Nikhil’s father is grateful to the Donors for their support which enabled his child to undertake the dialysis process regularly.

MESCO’s Medical Aid Department is working in close liaise with the various Municipal and Government hospitals in Mumbai. One of the schemes of our Medical Aid department is 6 Months Dialysis Support Scheme in which form distribution took place every half yearly. MESCO assist two cycles of Dialysis beneficiaries i.e from April- September and October to March of every year.16 dialysis beneficiaries were selected in 1st cycle i.e from April-September 2020 at Anjuman –I-Islam Girls Primary School, Mahim. Total 107 patients attended the program. The patients were selected by drawing random lots; these lots are picked by the patients in the presence of other beneficiaries. Due to Covid-19 lockdown, keeping in mind about the social distancing norms we had arranged telephonic registration for our dialysis beneficiaries instead of form distribution program. Total of 88 beneficiaries registered out of which 13 beneficiaries were selected in 2nd cycle i.e from October 2020 to March 2021. Total of 29 Dialysis patients has been assisted by the MESCO (From April 2020 to November 2020). They were provided aid for their dialysis expenditure for 6 months. Out of 29 Dialysis patient assisted by MESCO, 10 patients are sponsored by the Give India for the period of April-November 2020. All our assisted beneficiaries are very THANKFUL to the benevolent DONORS for the timely help.

Help the helpless : the most deserving

Programme update report for the October 2019 – March 2020 During the Six months period beginning from October 2019 to March 2020, 30 patients undergoing regular Haemodialysis through the 6 months Dialysis Support Scheme were assisted. These patients were assisted with financial aid to cover their cost of dialysis for a period of 6 months. These patients come from across Mumbai. As with respect to our assistance for Dialysis patients it continued with our helping hand to our Sustained Dialysis Support Scheme patients as well as Sustained Dialysis Drug Support Scheme patients. As we moved ahead as per our schedule for the Financial Year 2019-2020, to select the fresh batch of dialysis patients for the cycle April 2020- September 2020 under the 6 months Dialysis Support Scheme on Sunday 1st March 2020, the form distribution took place at Khalifa Ziauddin Girls Primary School, Mahim, 16 patients were selected for assistance under the 6 months Dialysis Support scheme. It was very unfortunate that our event of Observing World Kidney Day with all our dialysis patients coming together scheduled in March 2020 had to be cancelled at the last moment due to COVID 19. With all the excitement of preparation by the Medical Team and the zealous attitude of the patients of meeting together under one roof with one another came to a halt but it was in their best interest as the beneficiaries safety is always our first priority.

Care and support being provided

Program Update

The 6 months Dialysis support scheme provides assistance to poor patients with financial assistance for their 6 months dialysis cost. Forms for the dialysis schemes are issued in two cycles annually i.e. March & September. The selection of patients for the 6 months dialysis support for the cycle October 2018 – March 2019 began on 2nd September 2018. 20 patients were selected out of 88 patients through random lots. These patients were asked to submit the filled in the application form along with necessary documents at the office on the prescribed date and time. Face to face interview was conducted of the patient and the investigation reports with recommendations were submitted to the Medical Aid Committee. 20 patients were given financial assistance for dialysis.

Story from the field

Mr.Mastan Edwin is 50 years old.By profession Edwin worked on the boat as a fishermen and did other odd jobs on the boat. Annually he managed to earn nearly Rs.50000/-before getting this chronic disease. Since 2014 he is suffering from Chronic Renal Failure . He is on a regular maintenance Haemodialysis. He needs to undergo Hemo Dialysis thrice a week at Cardinal Gracias Memorial hospital at Bangli, Sandor, in Thane District. The patient has a family of 5 members. He, his wife and his three children together. Since the year 2014 due to his consistent ill health the patient became jobless.The severe financial crunch of the family and continuing depleting health of Edwin pushed his wife to take the lead role as a bread earner in her family. His wife is working as a house maid and other odd jobs. His elder daughter has become a Nun. His eldest child, a son has passed 12th exam and doing clerical work in a society. The youngest child of the patient is in class 10th going to a government school. The patient is living with his family members in their ownership house with bare minimum necessities. who is college going also works on part time basis. They have to visit various trusts to meet the expenses of the ongoing dialysis.

Program Update

The 6 months Dialysis support scheme provides assistance to poor patients with financial assistance for their 6 months dialysis cost. Forms for the dialysis schemes are issued in two cycles annually i.e. March & September. The selection of patients for the 6 months dialysis support for the cycle October 2018 – March 2019 began on 2nd September 2018. 20 patients were selected out of 88 patients through random lots. These patients were asked to submit the filled in the application form along with necessary documents at the office on the prescribed date and time. Face to face interview was conducted of the patient and the investigation reports with recommendations were submitted to the Medical Aid Committee. 20 patients were given financial assistance for dialysis.

Story from the field

Mr.Akshay Renose, Mr. Renose Akshay was a student studying in class X while preparing for his examination due to nervousness his blood pressure shot up drastically that affected his kidneys and he became a patient of Chronic Renal Failure. It was in 2015 when he underwent his first dialysis. All his dreams of going to college and becoming a graduate shattered. He is no longer a student but doing rounds of his dialysis center and the various trusts in Mumbai to fetch him the finances needed for his ongoing dialysis. He undergoes dialysis at Sukh Sagar Hospital in Kandivali. He undergoes 3 dialysis a week i.e. 12 dialysis a month. The cost of a single dialysis is Rs.600/-. The cost of dialysis per month is Rs.7200/-. There are four members in the family. Akshay is the youngest of all, even his brother is a Chronic renal failure patient. They live on rent, the eldest brother lives separately and helps the family by paying the house rent. The patient’s father is a driver earning Rs.6000/- p.m. whereas the mother is a housewife. The family is very thankful to the donors that the timely help has given them a new lease of life. MESCO select Akshay and help him to survive with such hardship.