BAJURA: With big dreams, 27-year-old Dhan Bahadur Bohora of Budhinanda Municipality-9 in Bajura came to Kathmandu to travel abroad. But his vision of a better future shattered when he found out that both his kidneys have failed.

“He was admitted to Bir Hospital two months ago. We have spent around Rs 200,000 for the treatment. But we cannot afford more,” shares Narendra Bohora, brother of Dhan Bahadur.

Dhan Bahadur had completed all the procedures to go abroad. But with the sudden swelling of his hands and legs, he visited the hospital for a checkup, where he was diagnosed with the kidney failure.

“My blood group did not match with my wife's; my parents are above 60 years. The only possible solution is to purchase a kidney,” shared Bohora, lying on a hospital bed and unaware how his treatment would be carried out.

The doctors have suggested that since Bohora is at the fourth stage of his ailment, he needs to undergo a kidney transplant. Bohora and his kin were also initially unaware about government provisions in support of citizens suffering from serious health problems, who cannot afford treatment.

The government, through the Ministry of Health and Population, has established a separate fund to provide economic support for the medical treatment of under-served citizens. The government has established a support fund for patients suffering from eight kinds of critical diseases.

Any citizen, unable to afford treatment, who undergoes kidney transplant in government-listed hospitals within the country would be granted a discount amounting to Rs 200,000 on the overall cost, 208 free hemodialysis sessions, and free peritoneal dialysis for two years. Similarly, with the recommendation of the Medical Board, if a patient undergoes kidney transplantation abroad, they would receive Rs 200,000 for the transplant and Rs 100,000 for medicines, on submission of actual bills.

According to Ramesh Kunwar, Public Health Officer at the Social Development Ministry, Sudurpaschim provincial government has allocated an amount of Rs 5 million for families with weak economic background. There is a provision to provide up to Rs 100,000 to such patients who cannot afford treatment on their own.

Bohora's family are in the process of applying for this support after coming to know about it.