70% of Dialysis Population in India Male, Women Denied Right to Healthcare when it comes to Dialysis

Hyderabad, December 18, 2017: NephroPlus, India’s largest dialysis network through a clinical research conducted across their 128 centers has found only 30% of the dialysis population in India are women and have been able to receive the life-saving dialysis treatment. A large US dialysis data registry puts this figure for the US at 43% while other countries also show similar results showing that there is no scientific basis for such a large gender gap among dialysis patients in India. This huge gender disparity in availing one’s basic right to healthcare shows that when it comes to spending on healthcare in a family with limited means, females are generally the second priority.

In the study, rural locations were found to be heavily biased against females getting dialysis (26%) compared to semi-urban (29%) and urban locations (33%). West Zone was observed to have the best proportion of females compared to males (35%, 65%) followed closely by the North (33%, 67%). South reported the worst, with only 26% of the dialysis population being female. East is not much better off with about only 28% females having access to dialysis.

Gujarat, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra were found to be the leading states which provide access to dialysis for women while Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh recorded the worst figures in this regard. It was lately discovered in another study that more than 70% of needy patients in India are not able to avail dialysis. Though several Public Private Partnership initiatives have been taken in conjunction with efforts to maintain high standards of quality and safety in dialysis care, NephroPlus study reveals a glaring flaw of the male-dominated Indian society which confers secondary status to women, even in their basic right to healthcare.

Vikram Vuppala, Founder and CEO, NephroPlus mentions, “While these statistics are really disturbing, it only mirrors our society’s basic mentality, which imposes a secondary status to women in most fronts. At a time when women consistently prove they are inferior to none; they deserve to be treated fairly, especially in the context of healthcare. Dialysis is a life-saving therapy for many and no colour, creed or sex can deny anyone’s right to avail this treatment. It is high time we changed the biased mentality of our society, spread right awareness on dialysis treatments and purge this stigma.”