Patients suffer as machines breakdown

via Patients suffer as machines breakdown 04/11/2014

DIALYSIS machines at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo have broken down, forcing many renal patients in Matabeleland region to fork out lots of money travelling to Harare and neighbouring South Africa seeking dialysis services.

Patients with kidney ailments who spoke to NewZimbabwe.com in Bulawayo said their lives were in danger because they could not afford the huge travelling and treatment costs charged by private and government hospitals in Harare.

According to the patients, currently dialysis services can only be accessed at Parirenyatwa, Chitungwiza and Harare hospitals as well as at the Dialysis Centre in Avondale.

“It pains me a lot that Mpilo machines are not being repaired while I and other patients travel all the way to Harare to get treatment,” said Dave Ncube who has been living with the aliment for the past four years.

“I travel to Avondale dialysis centre twice a week and fork out $265 per every session. On top of that, I am also expected to buy my own dialysis kit. In Zimbabwe being a renal patient is as good as being on death row yet this disease can be managed.”

Ncube said a lot of patients in the region have lost their lives because they could not afford the costs associated with the disease.

“One would have thought that since the country’s late first lady, Sally Mugabe succumbed to a kidney ailment, her death would have nudged the government to prioritise the establishment of more dialysis centres.”

President Robert Mugabe’s first wife Sally died in 1992 after battling with kidney trouble for a long time.

However, the pledge has remained a pipe dream as hundreds of patients who are unable to fork out the high fees charged by hospitals remain hopeless.

“I have been forced to reduce my treatment sessions from three sessions a week to one because of the costs. I am now staying with a relative in Harare as a cost cutting measure,” said Anesu Moyo, another renal patient.

Health and Child Welfare minister, David Parirenyatwa has been quoted by the media on several occasions saying his ministry was doing “everything possible” to have the Bulawayo machines repaired but nothing has happened.