Chennai: Greater Chennai corporation has piloted online registrations for two of its upcoming dialysis centres in Kolathur and Kondithope in North Chennai. Chief minister M K Stalin will inaugurate the facility this week.This ensures the services are accessible to everyone in the city, as anyone can pre-register online. Generally, records of dialysis patients are saved by local health nurses, and the patients, who are mostly locals, are followed up regularly. City health officer Dr M Jagadeesan said online bookings will help anyone in the city to book in advance and use the facilities. “The other centres have physical bookings, and mostly locals use them. Here too, we encourage locals to use them, but we want these centres to be accessible to everyone across the city,” he said.GCC has nine centres, excluding the two new ones, with 112 machines, benefiting around 200 patients a day. “The new centre will add 30 more machines. If centres in Semmencherry and Injambakkam or Perungudi are full, people can be diverted here if we have the pre-booking details,” said Jagadeesan. The civic body also has centres in Tiruvottiyur, Retteri, Porur, Padi and Nungambakkam. Online registration seeks details such as name, address, frequency of dialysis, and the status of any viral infections in the past, if any. Once the details are recorded, GCC health department officials will pass them on to the local centres, facilitating a dialysis appointment through SMS.Standing committee (health) chairman Dr G Shanthakumari said the facility will benefit poor people, as they cannot afford private dialysis. “More centres are in the pipeline,” she said. The centres are free for the public.
