Thodupuzha: Poor patients undergoing dialysis in Idukki district are facing severe difficulties after the district panchayat stopped distributing financial aid two years ago.

Sonia James, a resident of Edatt in Moolamattom and one of the patients who had been receiving the aid, said: “I have been undergoing dialysis for the last five years. My husband is a daily wager who doesn’t get work every day, and we live in a rented house. I undergo dialysis twice a week, about 8–9 sessions a month. The cost of each dialysis is ₹2,500. The district panchayat used to provide a monthly aid of ₹4,000, which was a big relief.”

Trouble for patients began after the state government issued an order stating that the aid, previously distributed directly by the district panchayat, should henceforth be disbursed jointly by all panchayats.

This led to panchayat secretaries and medical officers—the implementing officers of the scheme—refusing to carry out the necessary procedures, citing additional workload. Consequently, the distribution of the weekly ₹1,000 aid for dialysis, amounting to ₹4,000 a month, came to a halt. Earlier, the money had been transferred directly by the district panchayat to the respective hospitals.

In fact, the distribution of funds stopped following a dispute between panchayat secretaries and medical officers over who should serve as the implementing officer. As per the rules, the fund should be disbursed by the implementing officer. While panchayat authorities claimed that doctors were responsible for implementing the scheme, the association of medical officers rejected this view.

Several poor patients in Idukki district undergo dialysis even thrice a week, many surviving only with support from charitable individuals. However, the condition of patients who did not receive such help worsened, leading to deaths over the past couple of years. Even after these tragedies, authorities have failed to resolve the issue.

C V Rajendran, a resident of Arakkulam, filed a complaint in this regard with the adalat, following which the judicial body recently summoned Health Department officials. The court has also directed panchayat secretaries to appear before it on September 8. Patients say their only hope of receiving aid now lies in a court decision specifying the implementing officer.

Meanwhile, the district panchayat secretary stated that the local body has earmarked ₹25 lakh as financial aid for patients. “The district panchayat will release the funds as and when the respective local bodies submit their lists of claims,” he said. Incidentally, 52 panchayats are yet to submit their lists, and the district panchayat has not sought the names of patients directly from the local bodies.