Kidney dialysis to become more affordable

The national budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 has proposed a significant reduction in import duties on essential kidney dialysis components, which will lower the cost of kidney dialysis across the country, providing much-needed relief to thousands of patients.

The import duty on dialysis filters and dialysis circuits, both crucial for the dialysis process, is set to drop from 10 per cent to one per cent, reports UNB.

“Dialysis filter and dialysis circuit are two essential components used in the dialysis of kidney patients. I propose reducing the existing import duty from 10 per cent to one per cent on the import of these two products,” Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali said during his budget speech at the Parliament on Thursday.

The dialysis filter, or dialyser, removes waste items and excess fluids from the blood, whilst the dialysis circuit, a complicated series of tubes, ensures that blood flows properly through the dialysis machine.

These mostly imported items have up until now been subject to a 10 per cent import duty, contributing significantly to the overall cost of treatment.