CONCERNS are rising over shortages of haemodialysis facilities to help kidney patients at public hospitals in Zimbabwe, Southern Eye can report.
The concerns were raised in Senate this week.
Supporting the motion, Bulawayo Senator Linda Sibanda said if the haemodialysis facilities are established throughout the country, they could go a long way in helping patients.
“The government should establish haemodialysis facilities throughout the country. Kidney failure is very painful and more often, patients find it very difficult to find help,” she said.
Sibanda said patients with kidney ailments needed a lot of support through medication and dialysis, adding that the treatment was expensive.
“As the government, can we consider this disease as a chronic disease and put in place money that mainly is for such disease. It would help us because we end up mainly affected as Zimbabweans. So, I suggest that anyone who suffers from renal diseases should be assisted using the funds set aside for that purpose,” she said.
“We also realised that when renal patients are supposed to be resting, they will be busy working hard to survive and fend for themselves and their families. There should be a way that renal patients can be assisted by the government.”
Sibanda said many of the patients would be trying to raise money for the dialysis sessions and other accompanying medical bills.
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“We are also failing to assist colleagues and those close to us because of lack of financial support. I do not know how best we can assistance so that the people who are affected by kidney problems can be easily,” she said.
“We pray that the patients should at least find medication that prolongs their life span.”
