52-year-old Navnath Ghodekar needs to undergo dialysis bi-weekly to survive. Before the lockdown began on 25 March, Ghodekar underwent the procedure at a clinic close to his home in Mumbai’s Saki Naka at a cost of Rs 700 per session. But, in the last two months, the clinic he regularly visits has shut down just like many other affordable dialysis clinics in the city.
With no other options before him, Ghodekar now undergoes dialysis at a clinic about 25 minutes away from his home and ends up shelling out Rs 1,700 for each session, that is more than double of what he paid earlier. What’s worse, Navnath Ghodekar, who works as a labourer, is the sole breadwinner for his family. With no work, no money, Ghodekar and his family have no option but to cut down on his dialysis sessions.