Support group for dialysis patients set up in city

“I went onto alternative medication to treat the disease, but it didn’t help at all. I completely ruined my health. Frankly, it’s a miracle that I made it out alive. When the doctor initially told me that I had to do dialysis, I was afraid. I didn’t know what the machine was, and it looked frightening. That fear led to me hurting myself even more,” said Shanmugam.

Now, Shanmugam is the community leader of the South Chennai Dialysis Support Group, which was launched on March 11, coinciding with World Kidney Day. Set up to help over 5,000 dialysis patients in south Chennai, the group is open to any resident of Chennai.

“If there had been such a venue a year ago, I would have joined immediately, and probably got onto dialysis earlier,” said Shanmugam.

The group, launched by Rela Hospitals, Chrompet, will hold regular meet-ups for the members, which will be attended by urologists, nephrologists, and renal transplant experts to help clear doubts and break stereotypes and misconceptions about treatment.