Cure for a cause

IT IS an unpretentious building on the busy Poonamallee High Road. Climb up to the first floor and you will reach a ward with patients of various ages undergoing dialysis. They may be at death's door and completely bankrupt given the nature of the disease but, the Rekha Memorial TANKER Foundation Subsidised Dialysis unit has given them hope and a longer lease of life.

Run by the TANKER Foundation, the unit provides dialysis at subsidised rates for needy patients with kidney problems.

The TANKER Foundation (an acronym for Tamil Nadu Kidney Research) is a registered non-profitable trust founded by Dr. Georgi Abraham, consultant nephrologist, Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Porur, on June 30, 1993, to provide health care, medical treatment and financial assistance to needy patients with reversible or irreversible kidney ailments.

While in Canada, Dr. Georgi was inspired by the work of Canada- based nephrolgist, Dr. Oreopopulous - a pioneer in Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis - an alternative option to haemodialysis (which can be done by the patients themselves in the comfort of their homes thereby enabling them to enjoy a more normal life).

After returning to India, Dr. Georgi felt the need to help poor patients. "In Canada, I came across a refugee from Fiji of Indian origin, who was suffering from some kidney disorder. Being a welfare State, he was given a transplant and taken care of. I realised how different the scenario is in India, where patients may not survive if they do not have money."

Getting together a group of like-minded people as trustees, Dr. Georgi launched TANKER. Trustees of TANKER include, film producer and director, Suresh Balajee, whose father had two kidney transplants, Latha Kumaraswami, managing trustee, whose mother-in-law had kidney failure, Renny Abraham of Aban Group of Companies, S. V. Venkatesan, Finance Director, Essar Group of Companies and his wife Malathi, a transplant patient herself and actress-director, Revathy Menon, who supports several charitable organisations and nephrology specialists from the U.S. and Canada.

Initially, the two haemodialysis machines that the TANKER Foundation had received as donations from Essar Gujarat and Deve Sugars, were kept at Tamilnad Hospital and later moved to Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute.

In January, 1999, the Subsidised Dialysis Unit was started on Poonamallee High Road. The space was donated by K. V. George, father-in-law of Dr. Georgi Abraham, in memory of his daughter, Rekha, who died at an young age.

About 3,500 dialysis procedures have been done so far at a subsidised rate of Rs. 600, inclusive of dialyser and tubings. TANKER has six operative dialysis machines now. It has also launched a year-long "sponsor a dialysis programme," under which one free dialysis is done every day.

Besides the two dialysis machines, more machines and funds are being provided by many companies, banks and individuals. The Foundation also raises funds by organising film premieres and other social events.

Though the Foundation's dream of setting up a research centre for studying kidney disorders remains distant, it has instituted a number of awards for students who undertake research projects and sponsors lectures, symposiums and update programmes. It also plans to encourage organ donation along with the Mohan Foundation.

Summing up his work, Dr. Georgi says he is happy that The TANKER Foundation has made some difference to lives of quite a few people.

SUDHA UMASHANKER

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