dyton mupawaenda
Bulawayo Bureau
THE Hwange Colliery Company Hospital has launched a new, comprehensive Hemodialysis Unit to provide treatment to renal patients who previously had to travel long distances to access services.
Kidney disease, or renal failure, can lead to both short-term and permanent damage to the kidneys, resulting in a loss of normal kidney function such as helping control water levels and eliminating waste through urine.
Kidneys also help regulate blood pressure, red blood cell production, as well as levels of calcium and minerals.
To access the critical service, patients from Hwange and Binga districts had to travel to the Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo where the service had become increasingly overwhelmed, leading to regular equipment breakdowns and service disruptions.
Chronic kidney disease is now viewed as an emerging public health threat, affecting between 11 and 13 percent of the world’s population, with hypertension, diabetes and an aging population thought to be among the leading contributors to the rise in kidney failure cases. The cost of treatment for chronic kidney failure is prohibitive, meaning that poor patients suffer in silence, with some eventually succumbing to the disease.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care records about 1 000 cases of kidney failure every year, with only 700 having dialysis access.
Dr Beauty Mutombe, corporate affairs manager at the Hwange Colliery Company, said the investment in the new hemodialysis facility was part of the institution’s commitment to environmental, social and governance interests, and was intended to reduce morbidity and mortality rates and support national priorities in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and Vision 2030.
“Hwange Colliery Hospital saw it fit to establish a Hemodialysis Unit in support of Vision 2030 and NDS1. These call for a significant reduction in morbidity and mortality caused by non-communicable diseases,” she said.
“Chronic kidney failure is an emerging public health threat globally for which treatment costs are prohibitive. The addition of the hemodialysis service will provide patients from and around Hwange access to a crucial and life-saving service. It reduces the distance travelled by patients to access hemodialysis and the costs associated with travel,” said Dr Mutombe.
She said the facility will also feature a readily available blood bank for renal patients in need. Individuals have a greater risk of developing kidney disease if they have poorly controlled mellitus or hypertension (high blood pressure).
“Most dialysis patients require blood transfusion from time to time. Blood is readily available at Hwange Colliery Hospital whose laboratory is the blood bank store for Matabeleland North Province. This makes the hospital a stop shop for patients on hemodialysis,” she said.
The eight-bed Hemodialysis Unit aims to scale up to 12 beds, and marks the latest addition to the range of healthcare services available at Hwange Colliery Hospital.
In addition to the renal unit, the hospital provides obstetrics and gynaecology, general surgery, orthopaedic surgery and ophthalmology services. Members of the public have welcomed the opening of the facility, but have urged the hospital to ensure that services are not only easy to access, but also affordable.
Online Reporter