Delhi, June 2022: To deepen collaboration, maintain standard operating protocols, and address challenges deterrent to the industry’s growth, leading dialysis service providers in India have joined hands to launch the much-awaited Dialysis Services Providers Association of India (DSPAI) today. The body, which has been in the works for some time, comes in response to the need for a platform that will engage with the government on policy formulation, work closely with the nephrology community to set operating protocols, and clear roadblocks or address grievances that are hampering the progress of the industry.
The DSPAI is a product of the coming together of leading dialysis service providers to forge a progressive path for practitioners and patients alike. The association also sets out to engage with the government and policy makers to develop equitable policies for the dialysis community to ensure quality delivery and sustenance of the industry, which keep patient care at the centre while building a robust ecosystem of dialysis care providers. The DSPAI will also serve as a platform for crucial advocacy toward engendering transformational industry growth and improved outcome-based care.
According to Mr. Vikram Vuppala, Founder & CEO, NephroPlus,and a spokesperson for the association said, “the move is geared primarily towards deepening engagement with other stakeholders. We want to be able to conveniently interface with the central and state governments on matters that have to do with enlightenment and reforms to bring about improved care for dialysis patients. This will also involve engaging better with policymakers towards policy actions that can create a mutually agreeable ecosystem for all stakeholders and ensure patients get the quality care they deserve,”
At the launch of the association, Dr. Vishwanath Billa, Consultant Nephrologist & Director, Apex Kidney Care Pvt. Ltd said, “there is a need for continuous upgrade of protocols, and the association presents an opportunity for practitioners to network, brainstorm, and deliberate on ways to achieve better clinical outcomes using outcome-based approaches to dialysis.”
“Another crucial aspect is setting a viable and sustainable price point to help boost dialysis access. We also understand that training and capacity building is extremely important to maintain globally accepted standards in India,” Dr. Billa added
The association will be looking to further advocate for long-standing priority issues such as policies for stand-alone dialysis centres and operational standards. Further, such centres would be guided, putting in place a well-defined quality accreditation framework for dialysis procedures, entrenching clinical outcome-based care, and enhancing the ease-of-doing-business index for dialysis companies in India. It is hoped that such actions will increase the visibility of the industry and the recognition of dialysis as a specialized field in India.
As per Mr. Aseem Garg, Founder & Promoter, DCDC Health Services, “this advocacy is intended to compel policymakers and regulators not by antagonism, but as crucial partners and collaborators towards the growth of dialysis care in India. Our main goal is to work with government and other stakeholders in policy formulation and regulations so that we can help improve the efficiency of the profession and ensure our members are well looked out for,”
Expressing his opinion on the association’s launch, Mr. Shaurya Tayal, Founder of Rahi Care,said, “We are optimistic that, through the association, the commoditization of dialysis will be prevented, and it will be given its due recognition as a life-saving therapy. Practitioners like us are confident that with the proper framework, dialysis services will become more sustainable to ensure that quality care is delivered to the last mile and patients’ lives are improved.”
“We would like to see an ecosystem where dialysis service providers and the government will become partners in progress. We want to make India a destination for dialysis care and know that we cannot do that without the right policies. We need to point out that this association is different from the existing association, as they focus on dialysis technology and provide financial, tax, and consulting services for their clients. However, we at DSPAI are the dialysis service providers, and this association is meant for collaboration, advocacy, and interests,” notes Mr. Prabhat K. Shrivastava, Co-founder & Director, Vituscare Medlife Pvt. Ltd.
Notable founding members of the association are NephroPlus, Apex Kidney Care, DCDC Kidney Care, Rahi Care, Apollo Dialysis, 7Med, ESKAG Sanjeevani, and Vituscare Medlife.