Imphal: In a heart-rending protest that underscored their fight for survival, dialysis patients in Manipur took to the streets on October 31, urging the state government to take swift action to prevent private hospitals from suspending the Chief Ministergi Hakselgi Tengbang (CMHT) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) schemes from November 6.
The demonstration, organised by the All Manipur Dialysis Patients’ Association (AMDPA), began at Keishampat Leimajam Leikai with the intention of marching towards the Raj Bhavan. However, police personnel stopped the rally midway, preventing the protesters—many of whom were frail and visibly unwell—from reaching their destination.
The protesters, comprising dialysis patients and their families, demanded the immediate release of pending reimbursement funds owed to private hospitals for services provided under CMHT and PMJAY. They warned that the discontinuation of these schemes would endanger thousands of lives, as many patients rely entirely on these government-backed health benefits for their regular dialysis sessions.
AMDPA executive member Lakshmi voiced the deep anxiety among patients, stating, “The lives of kidney patients have become uncertain after private hospitals announced plans to halt CMHT and PMJAY benefits due to the government’s failure to clear outstanding bills.” She added that the high cost of dialysis makes these schemes indispensable for survival. “We have repeatedly appealed to the authorities to clear the dues, but with no response, even patients undergoing dialysis were forced to protest under the blazing sun,” she said.
One dialysis patient, fighting tears, pleaded for urgent intervention: “If CMHT and PMJAY services are stopped, we have nowhere to go. We depend on these schemes to stay alive. Please clear the pending payments — we just want to live a little longer with our families.”
The AMDPA warned that if the government fails to act before November 6, the agitation will intensify, holding the authorities responsible for any deaths resulting from the suspension of these essential healthcare services. For Manipur’s kidney patients, time is running out — and every delayed decision could mean another life lost.
