Balasore: Taking a unique initiative, Balasore district administration launched a free bus service for patients with kidney disease on frequent dialysis.

Balasore Collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde flagged off the 'Sanjeevani Express' on premises of Balasore District Headquarters Hospital on Thursday.

Balasore CDMO Dr. Dulalsen Jagadev, Additional District Public Health Officer Dr. Mrutyunjany Mishra, DPM Anil Mohanty, ADPHCO Ramanikant Bhanja, Hospital Manager Amir Kumar Baral and doctors and staff of dialysis department of the hospital were present on the occasion.

Sources said that the kidney patients are on the rise in Balasore district where hundreds are undergoing dialysis at different private hospitals and the DHH. Only, 60 patients are on the dialysis at Balasore DHH and they have to visit the hospital at least 2-3 times a week. Although, free dialysis facility is being provided at the state-run hospital, the patients need to bear other expenses including transportation and fooding amounting to around Rs 2,500.

Considering patients' financial conditions, the district health officials had sent a proposal to collector requesting the administration to provide free transport facility for the kidney patients in the district. They suggested to use the city buses lying abandoned in service of these patients. Collector Shinde immediately granted the permission to provide free transport facility for patients suffering from kidney failure.

With launching of the free bus service, the Sanjeevani Express buses will ply to the places including Bhograi, Baliapal, Basta and Jaleswar daily on two routes -- Chandaneswar-Jaleswar and Chandaneswar-Kamardha. The patients will be asked to board the buses from a particular location, where the bus will drop them after dialysis at the hospital.

The trial run of the bus service started on Thursday. Keeping the necessity of the service in mind, it will be extended to other regions of the district, informed CDMO Dr. Dulalsen Jagadev.

Approximately, Rs 1.30 lakh will be spent with implementation of the service for kidney patients. The expenses will be borne by the Zilla Swasthya Samiti (ZSS) and different corporations in first phase, said Shinde describing the free bus service for kidney patients as the first of its kind in the state.