Thrissur: A  local self-government body in Thrissur has decided to distribute a monthly pension of Rs 4000 to kidney patients who are undergoing dialysis. Madakathara panchayat in the district has introduced the project to help kidney patients.

The panchayat included this project in their annual plan. There will be no conditions for receiving the pension.

The panchayat authority observed that many people in the panchayat are undergoing dialysis. They are also facing financial issues to undergo dialysis without any interruption.

The panchayat authority has been preparing a list of the dialysis patients to identify the beneficiaries of the project.

At present, most of the free dialysis units remain shut due to the COVID crisis. A huge rush is witnessed in paid dialysis centres. Hence, the patients are forced to travel to other districts for dialysis. So, the travel expenditure has also increased. 

These issues increased the challenges in the COVID period which hit livelihood.

In order to overcome this crisis, the panchayat launched the pension scheme. Madakkathara panchayat administration authority claimed that such a pension project is introduced in Kerala for the first time.

Apart from financial aid, the panchayat is taking efforts to establish dialysis facilities. Indira Mohan is the president of Madakkathara panchayat. Sunny Chennikkara is the vice president.