Kerala launches “PRATIKSHA” Initiative for Children With Kidney Diseases; Crucial Advancement in Kerala’s Health Sector: Veena George

Thiruvananthapuram: The Government of Kerala has launched a new initiative titled “PRATIKSHA” aimed at ensuring comprehensive care and treatment for children suffering from severe kidney diseases. Health Minister Veena George said the program marks a significant milestone in the state’s healthcare sector and expressed pride that such a scheme is being introduced for the first time in the world.

According to the minister, the program focuses on early detection of kidney-related illnesses in children, timely medical intervention, and continuous follow-up care. Through these measures, the scheme aims to prevent the progression of diseases to critical stages and reduce the need for kidney transplants. For children who require transplantation, the procedure will be provided free of cost under the scheme.

As part of the initiative, successful paediatric kidney transplant surgeries have begun at SAT Hospital. Two transplant surgeries have already been completed, marking an important step forward for paediatric transplant treatment in the public healthcare sector.

The state has also introduced a DM in Pediatric Nephrology, a super-specialty course designed to train experts in the treatment of kidney diseases among children. The program is expected to strengthen the availability of specialised medical professionals in this field.

With treatment and dialysis services for chronic kidney disease already available in government hospitals, the PRATIKSHA initiative integrates diagnosis, treatment, financial support and long-term follow-up into a unified care model, the minister said.

She added that the program represents a major intervention by the state government to secure a healthier future for children. Similar to the model followed under the Hridyam Program, a digital portal is also being developed to coordinate treatment centres across the state and facilitate early detection and timely care for affected children.