Dialysis business in growth mode amid rising treatment demand in India

Every week, 220,000 to 250,000 Indians undergo three sessions each of haemodialysis (a treatment to filter wastes and water from the blood). But that amounts to a fraction of Indians who need this treatment. The industry estimates that there are some 20 million patients with chronic kidney disease in India, but only 20 per cent get dialysis treatment. The remaining 80 per cent either can’t access it because they live in rural areas or can’t afford it since dialysis is largely an out-of-pocket expense. The affordability factor is striking because dialysis in India costs $25 a session compared with $300