Govt pushes for dialysis units
After several failed attempts, the health ministry has announced that it is now on track to set up dialysis units in many of the country’s public hospitals, while it hopes to install six dialysis chairs at the Katutura Intermediate Hospital’s tuberculosis unit by the end of this financial year.
Once these are up and running, government will be forced to recruit qualified staff from outside Namibia’s borders in the meantime, as the country only has a handful of required staff, which includes a dedicated physician, a nephrologist, dialysis nurses and nutritionists.
“We will have to recruit these cadres from outside the country for the interim, while we train our own. The government has funded two Namibians who are currently undergoing training as nephrologists outside the country,” health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula said.
“Given the number of new dialysis units that are envisaged to be established around the country, the ministry will have to provide on-the-job training to more identified nurses to serve as dialysis nurses for these new units.”
He told Parliament these units will be set up at Windhoek Central, Oshakati Intermediate as well as at Keetmanshoop, Swakopmund, Rundu and Katima Mulilo state hospitals.
Lack of state facilities
“The procurement process has commenced for the establishment of a full dialysis unit with 12 dialysis chairs at Oshakati Intermediate Hospital, while the development of a dialysis unit at Rundu State Hospital will be undertaken with the upgrading of intensive care unit,” Shangula said.
“These interventions will alleviate the challenges faced by patients, who would otherwise have to be referred to other facilities for care,” he said.
Namibia largely relies on private dialysis clinics and institutions for the treatment of state patients because of the dire lack of state facilities.
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Once these are up and running, government will be forced to recruit qualified staff from outside Namibia’s borders in the meantime, as the country only has a handful of required staff, which includes a dedicated physician, a nephrologist, dialysis nurses and nutritionists.
“We will have to recruit these cadres from outside the country for the interim, while we train our own. The government has funded two Namibians who are currently undergoing training as nephrologists outside the country,” health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula said.
“Given the number of new dialysis units that are envisaged to be established around the country, the ministry will have to provide on-the-job training to more identified nurses to serve as dialysis nurses for these new units.”
He told Parliament these units will be set up at Windhoek Central, Oshakati Intermediate as well as at Keetmanshoop, Swakopmund, Rundu and Katima Mulilo state hospitals.
Lack of state facilities
“The procurement process has commenced for the establishment of a full dialysis unit with 12 dialysis chairs at Oshakati Intermediate Hospital, while the development of a dialysis unit at Rundu State Hospital will be undertaken with the upgrading of intensive care unit,” Shangula said.
“These interventions will alleviate the challenges faced by patients, who would otherwise have to be referred to other facilities for care,” he said.
Namibia largely relies on private dialysis clinics and institutions for the treatment of state patients because of the dire lack of state facilities.
[email protected]
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