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Mukudzei Chingwere Herald Reporter

Zimbabwe yesterday joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Kidney Day at a time the Government is now offering free dialysis to everyone.

The theme for this year is ‘living well with kidney disease’ and Zimbabwe targets to cover medical expenses of its people estimated to be more than 2000 patients living with chronic disease.

“The Ministry of Health has plans to scale up dialysis machines in Zimbabwe and thereby improve the outcomes of patients with kidney diseases,” said the Ministry of Health and Child Care in statement.

Gweru Provincial Hospital (GPH) has state of the art dialysis machines to boost the country’s fight against the condition.

With the cost of dialysis around US$200 a session and most patients needing around two a week, GPH Medical Superintendent Dr Fabian Mashingaidze said at their institution patients dialyse for free benefiting from the Government subsidy.

“The cost of renal services is quite high in the country. Most of these patients require two to three sessions a week and the majority cannot afford on their own.

“That is why the Government has seen it fit to subside these services so that the patients can dialyse for free,” said Dr Mashingaidze.

The hospital is currently attending to 31 patients though it has a capacity for 24, and efforts are afoot to procure more machines.

Patients benefiting from the subsidy thanked the Government for providing the subsidy, Mr Peter Bhobho said he was grateful.

Mr Crispen Chiyambukira’s wife Rosina is receiving treatment, he thanked the subsidy but his request to authorities was to have the services decentralised to districts.

He had to relocate from Gokwe to Gweru for the treatment of his wife.