Bengaluru: African delegates for knowledge exchange visited Sarvagna Health Care Institute’s (SHCI) dialysis center and primary chronic care center in KG Halli, Bengaluru. The delegates were policy makers, researchers and representatives from African Development Bank and Ministry of Health from four African countries (Malawi, Burkino Faso, Zimbabwe and South Africa). The purpose of this visit was to understand how the dialysis care can be made affordable under public private partnership (PPP).
Sarvagnanagar Dialysis Center is running on a PPP basis where in the infrastructure is provided by the government, but managed by taking care of all expenses (day to activity) by SHCI, a not-for-profit organization. SHCI is providing free dialysis and out-patient service for poor patients and others get care at subsidized rate. K J George, Minister for Bengaluru Development and Town Planning, is the Chairman of SHCI.
This visit was organized as part of the African Development Bank project on ‘Developing Public Private Partnerships for Financing Health in Africa’. This visit is conducted with the guidance from PPP Cell, Department of Economic Affairs, Union Ministry of Finance and coordinated by Health Systems Research India Initiative Trust.
Dr Thriveni B S, Director of Sarvagna Health Care Institute and Faculty at Institute of Public Health gave background about how IPH was involved in setting up of PPP model dialysis centre and the challenges with regard to long-term financial sustainability. The delegates interacted with the SHCI and Institute of Public Health staff and the patients undergoing dialysis. Delegates from Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso were interested in understanding the costing of dialysis and how does PPP model work to make care affordable for people in need.
During the discussion Dr Robert Mudyiradima, Principal Director from Ministry of Heath, Zimbabwe said, “This is a good initiative where service is provided with focus on preventive and curative care to the community”.
Dr Hein D Alain, from Burkina Faso said, “This model has proven that if private and public organisations can work together quality dialysis care can be provided and there was lessons learnt to take back to their country”.
Dr Thriveni said, “If the government plans to expand such model it can be huge challenge for NGOs to manage without support from government, rather government should consider including dialysis under health insurance schemes like Vajpayee Arogyashree”.
