Founded on 30'th June 1993, The Tamilnad Kidney Research Foundation was set up primarily to provide financial assistance to underprivileged patients for dialysis, transplantation, investigation and medication costs. The Foundation also aims to encourage organ donation at time of death. It was started by Dr. Georgi Abraham along with a group of like-minded individuals. From helping needy patients financially to spreading awareness, providing subsidized dialysis to screening camps, TANKER has taken every effort to live up to its vision.
TANKER Foundation had small beginnings with financial support offered for a small group of needy patients. Gradually contributions started coming in and TANKER was able to start subsidized dialysis facilities.
The first Subsidized Units were at Tamilnad Hospitals (Root of the Foundation's name Tamilnad Kidney Research) and Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute. In 1999, Rekha Memorial TANKER Foundation Subsidized Dialysis Unit began at premises given by Mr. K.V. George. The Renny Abraham TANKER Foundation Ambattur Rotary Subsidized Dialysis Unit was started in 2006, in a space given rent free by Ambattur Rotary Charitable Hospital. In October 2006, TANKER, with the help of our goodwill Ambassador, Mr. R.S. Suriya started the TANKER Foundation Madurai Subsidized Dialysis Unit. On January 1st, 2007, The Madras West Round Table 10, The Madras Ladies Circle 2 and TANKER's Goodwill Ambassador Mr. R.S.Suriya launched the Dialysis A Day (DAD) project. All this was done in tandem with subsidized fistula surgeries, research awards, awareness and outreach programmes and screenings.
In June 2011, Tamilnadu Kidney Research Foundation completed 18 years of service towards the underprivileged with kidney alignments.
With your help, we have fought the flight against kidney failure with contributions to healthcare, research, training and advocacy connected to the disease. From when we began till Octobar this year, TANKER has provided 92,177 free and subsidized dialysis through our 3 dialysis units for 712 patients. We have also provided financial support of up to Rs. 70.63 Lakhs to 1274 patients as one-time contributions ranging from Rs. 5,000/- to Rs. 50,000/- for transplatation, medication, investigation and fistula surgery costs.
We have subsidized dialysis units with a total of 27 Dialysis Mechines. The first was opened in Kilpauk (Chennai) and the other two are in Ambattur Rotary Hospital (Chennai) and TVS TVS Hospital, Chokkikulam (Madurai). We do 1,547 dialysis per month, of which 395 are free of cast. At present, we have 186 patients in our dialysis facilities. We also provide dialysis facilities at PIMS, Pondicherry and K.C. Pant Hospital, Port Blair and hope to set up a similar facility in Coimbatore shortly. In November 2009, we decided to extend our support to HIV patients with kidney disease. Our HIV Dialysis Unit at Kilpauk provides dialysis to underprevileged HIV patients and is the first of its kind in India.
Apart from helping our patients, spreading the world about kidney disease is equally important to TANKER. We have reached out to more than 40,000 people with the 197 Awareness Programmes we conducted at schools, colleges, law enforcement offices and public forums. We have also screened 2701 indiduals for early detection of kidney disease through our screening camps.
At the field of research about kidney disease is leaking enthusiasm and guidance in india TANKER also gives awards for research into Nephrology and service to the tune of Rs.5 lakhs every year.