City-based Nephroplus, a chain of kidney care and dialysis clinics, on Monday launched its first dialysis unit in public, private partnership (PPP) mode at the ESIC super speciality government hospital here.
“We plan to open three centres next month in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Punjab, adding to our existing 11 centres across the country, and will launch a couple of centres every month to reach our target of 100 centres by 2014,” Vikram Vuppala, founder and chief executive of NephroPlus, said.
Nephroplus, which started with three founding members — Sandeep Gudibanda, Kamal D Shah, and Vikram Vuppala, began operations in 2009 with funding from angel investors and high net worth individuals. Last year, it raised its first round of VC (venture capital) funding from Bessemer Venture Partners.
“India now accounts for 1 million kidney failure patients with only 5 per cent of them having access to dialysis,” he said. So far, the start-up has treated 1,000 patients and conducted 50,000 sessions across its centres. It has set a target of treating 100,000 patients by 2014, Vuppala told Business Standard. Nephroplus is currently seeing 25-30 per cent rise in awareness among patients in kidney care and dialysis.
The 10-bed unit, which can treat up to 50 cases of chronic renal failure per day, has a capacity to expand up to 25 beds. It will also address patients from the economically weaker sections of society. The unit was inaugurated by state medical education minister Kondru Murali Mohan.