Silver Lining

Overcoming Adversity to Build NephroPlus- Asia’s Largest Dialysis Provider

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In 1997, Kamal Shah’s world turned upside down. On his way to study in the US, Shah was completing the formalities for a student visa, which included preventive vaccinations for hepatitis, typhoid, measles, mumps and rubella. He developed a slight fever following his shots, which he dismissed as a normal side effect. Within twenty-four hours, Shah was forced to rethink. His condition deteriorated overnight, prompting an emergency rush to the hospital. Further tests revealed the unimaginable: an atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (AHUS). Kamal needed a kidney transplant.

A year of painful haemodialysis later, Kamal underwent a renal transplant. His mother had donated her kidney to her son, in the hope that he could survive. The surgery was unsuccessful. In the last decade and a half, Kamal has switched between peritoneal and home dialysis. It has been a painful, terrifying journey, documented painstakingly on his personal blog. That blog was the kernel for NephroPlus, a company that was born from Kamal’s desire to ensure that dialysis became accessible for every patient. Kamal Shah is still on dialysis, but it has not dimmed his hope or his belief that being diagnosed with terminal kidney disease is not the end of life, nor can it prevent you from living the life you want to live. That hope has been the driving force behind NephroPlus.

Today, NephroPlus is one of Asia’s leading dialysis networks with 320+ centres across 4 countries, including India, Nepal, the Philippines and Uzbekistan. Since NephroPlus offers specialized dialysis, one factor that has been responsible for the overwhelming response has been their charges, which are 30-40 per cent lower than those in hospitals like Max or Apollo. This is the story not just of NephroPlus, but of an entrepreneur like no other.

This is a unique business memoir, with a strong, moving touch of the deeply personal. Kamal writes with raw honesty about pain and fear and the darker side of healthcare in India. Yet this is also a story of faith, of grit and determination and, ultimately, of success.