Hundreds of dialysis patients, their relatives and local residents blocked the Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) road in Dibrugarh on Monday to protest a state government notification that will withdraw cashless dialysis coverage from private empanelled hospitals from July 1. The demonstrators said the move affects lifesaving treatment for many low-income patients and urged the government to reverse the decision.
According to the notification cited by protesters, chronic haemodialysis, acute haemodialysis, permanent tunnelled catheter placement and peritoneal dialysis will be removed from the ambit of the Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and the Ayushman Asom–Mukhya Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AA-MMJAY) in private facilities from the stated date.
Protesters warned the sudden policy change would overwhelm government hospitals, which they said lack the capacity to absorb a large influx of dialysis patients. Demonstrators pointed out that AMCH, the region’s primary tertiary care centre, currently operates only 12 dialysis machines, and said that limited equipment and staff would be inadequate to meet demand.
“Many poor chronic kidney disease patients will die because of this decision,” one patient taking part in the protest told reporters, expressing fear for those who rely on regular, subsidised sessions in private clinics.
A relative of a dialysis patient, whose daughter requires treatment three times a week, appealed directly to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. “My daughter cannot survive without dialysis. I request the Chief Minister to reconsider and not take away the only support keeping our children alive,” he said.
Protesters called on the state government to restore cashless coverage or provide a clear plan to expand public dialysis capacity before implementing the change. The report does not include any response from government officials or details of alternative arrangements.
Original Source: https://nenow.in/north-east-news/assam/assam-dialysis-patients-protest-at-amch-over-withdrawal-of-cashless-treatment-benefits.html
Category: Assam,Northeast News,Top News
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Publish Date: 2026-06-22 22:05:00
