13-year old boy receives Plasmapheresis therapy with zero expenses at IKRDC, Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad: A 13-year old patient has successfully undergone ‘Plasmapheresis’, an expensive therapy at Institute of Kidney Disease and Research Centre (IKRDC), Ahmedabad at free-cost as the entire expenses were covered under School Health Program.

It was informed by IKRDC in a press release that a 13-year old boy named Yash, coming from Sonpara village of Gir-Somnath district was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure in 2018. After a year, he suffered with nephrotic syndrome soon after he had a transplant with a kidney donated by his father and the only alternative left was ‘Plasmapheresis’ after that. It is a specialized method of removing blood plasma from the body by withdrawing blood, separating it into plasma and cells, and transfusing the cells back into the bloodstream and it costs upto USD 2000 per session overseas, as informed in the press-release from IKRDC.

Despite huge subsidies from the government and charitable support, the treatment cost Rs 15,000 per session and IKRDC incurred an overall expense of Rs. 25 Lakh for kidney transplant, post-transplant care, medicine and 50 plasmapheresis sessions during the treatment, as informed in the press-release. The therapy was successful as the kidney of the patient started functioning normally after the 50 sessions of the treatment.

It is informed in the press release that it was not possible for the patient’s family to afford the costs of the therapy and arrangements were made to cover entire expense of treatment under School Health Programme which is designed and funded by Government of Gujarat for the treatment of complex ailments suffered by children under 18 years of age irrespective of socio-economic condition of the family.