Staff Writer
Health minister Kalumbi Shangula said the government does not offer public dialysis services and is currently trying to set up machines in public hospitals.
Shangula told the National Assembly last week that although the ministry invited bids for dialysis services in 2019, none of the companies that showed interest qualified.
The minister said where the ministry has limited capacity to provide a service; it contracts such service to the private sector, such as dialysis services.
These private dialysis service providers, he said, are mainly in the urban centres of Windhoek, Katima Mulilo and Oshakati.
Shangula added that the government provides limited dialysis at Windhoek Central Hospital and Oshakati Intermediate Hospital.
In line with the Harambee Prosperity Plan II, Shangula explained, the government intends to establish public sector dialysis units at Windhoek Central, Oshakati Intermediate, and Keetmanshoop Swakopmund, Rundu and Katima Mulilo State Hospitals.
He said that steps had been taken to create dialysis capacity immediately. Six dialysis chairs were included for installation when the Katutura Intermediate Hospital TB Unit was extended within this financial year. “Similarly, the procurement process has established a complete dialysis unit with 12 dialysis chairs at Oshakati Intermediate Hospital. In contrast, the development of a Dialysis Unit at Rundu State Hospital will be undertaken to upgrade the Intensive Care Unit.
“These interventions will alleviate the challenges faced by patients who would otherwise have to be referred to other facilities for care,” he said.
The minister said setting up dialysis units goes beyond the availability of physical space to procure machinery and consumables.
To run a successful dialysis unit, he explained, there is a need to have a dedicated physician, a nephrologist, dialysis nurses, and nutritionists.
He said Namibia would have to recruit nephrologists from outside the country for the interim while training locals.
The government has funded two Namibians currently training as nephrologists outside the country.
“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 said.
Furthermore, he said, the health ministry has commenced upgrading Intensive Care Units at district hospitals around the country to strengthen the health system, especially concerning the capacity for intensive care.
According to Shangula, the government first tried to set up a public facility for dialysis services six years ago.
“The need to establish dialysis services in public health facilities has always enjoyed priority consideration by the Ministry of Health and Social Services. The Ministry of Health and Social Services staff bears witness that the provision of dialysis services for the public sector is a matter that is close to my heart,” Shangula said.
Shangula was responding to questions posed by the PDM parliamentarian Winnie Moongo on state-funded dialysis units at public health facilities.
