Ranjit Kumar Poddar, 33, underwent over 200 dialyses in two years before his elder sister donated him her right kidney. After a successful transplant, Poddar married and now has an eight-year-old daughter. His sister, too, is leading a normal life.

Bimal Kumar Guha, 51, had a transplant carried out in 2000 after three months of dialysis. His wife was the donor. “Dialysis is a temporary solution. Life becomes smoother after a transplant,” says Guha.

Having suffered through dialysis and the restrictions that follow, the two patients and their doctor, D.K. Pahari, a former head of SSKM Hospital’s nephrology department, formed the All Bengal Renal Failure and Transplant Welfare Association in 2001 to spread awareness about kidney ailments.

“Patients with irreversible kidney ailments keep hearing of unsuccessful transplants and high mortality rate after the operation. One of the aims of our organisation is to allow the patients to meet people like us who are leading a normal life after kidney transplant,” said Poddar, the secretary of the association.

According to nephrologists, the advent of minimal invasive surgery — ensuring faster recovery for patient and donor — and development of medicines have made transplants more viable in comparison to dialysis.

The association is trying to arrange medication at discounted rates and free ambulance service for patients with kidney ailments. On an average, patients have to take medicines worth about Rs 12,000 per month after their transplant. The cost comes down gradually. Poddar, who had his transplant 12 years ago, has to shell out Rs 3,000 per month for medicines.

Association president Pahari, now with Manjulaben Kidney Hospital, has been arranging weekly medical camps at Gobindarampur village, near Kakdweep, which the organisation has adopted. About 250 residents of the area undergo tests for kidney problems at each of the camps. Those with kidney ailments are given prescriptions and free diet charts.

“Our volunteers conduct the camps in association with local doctors,” said Pahari. He stressed the need to make the people aware that kidney ailments, if detected early, can be controlled and cured through medication and diet.