Thiruvananthapuram: The “Samaswasam” pension that is paid to indigent patients, including those who undergo dialysis for kidney-related ailments and those who had organ transplantation, has come to a halt after the project got entangled in the government's financial crisis. The Social Welfare Department has directed the Social Welfare Mission, which implements the project, not to consider applications submitted from 2021. The payment for even those who draw the pension at present has run into arrears for four to six months. 

It was the Oommen Chandy government which started the Samaswasam project in 2013 for assuring a monthly pension of Rs 1,100 to dialysis patients, Rs 1,000 to those who have undergone kidney or liver transplantation, Rs 1,000 to haemophilia patients, and Rs 2,000 to those suffering from sickle cell anaemia. Money was also provided for buying at least the medicines for expensive medical treatments. But leaving many in trouble, the project has come to a halt now.

Thousands of applications received in the past two years are lying bundled up in the office of the Social Security Mission. Officials have indicated that there are at least 15,000 applications awaiting approval. The stoppage of the project by the government comes at a time when the number of kidney patients is increasing. At present, around 9,000 persons are drawing the pension. Although Rs 6 crore was needed to be allocated last year, only Rs 2.1 crore was sanctioned. 

Even those who were sanctioned the pension are roaming the offices of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and panchayats for the money. The Social Security Mission has written to the government requesting that money should be sanctioned by giving special consideration to those patients who are facing extreme hardship. 

How the project works
Dialysis - Rs 1,100 per month for BPL ration card holders

Kidney/liver transplantation - Rs 1,000 per month for five years if the annual income is below Rs 1 lakh

Haemophilia - Rs 1,000 a month without any income restrictions

Sickle cell anaemia - Rs 2,000 per month for patients other than Adivasis with annual family income of Rs 1 lakh