By Lindani Dube
HWANGE Colliery Company Hospital (HCCH) has officially opened its crucial and lifesaving haemodialysis unit doors following rigorous inspection and approval by national health authorities.
The major development widens the range of healthcare services available to Hwange district and Matabeleland North communities.
Globally, chronic kidney disease is an emerging public health threat in terms of increasing incidence, prevalence, poor outcomes, and high treatment costs.
According to Kidney International Supplements Journal, kidney failure is estimated to affect more than 10% of the world’s population, about 843,6 million individuals worldwide.
In an interview HCCL Chief Medical Officer, Dr Nairos Deredzai said haemodialysis is the most common way to treat advanced kidney failure. “Hwange Colliery Hospital saw it fit to establish a Haemodialysis Unit in support of Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) blueprint and Vision 2030.”
NDS1 envisages significantly reduced morbidity and mortality caused by non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, kidney failure, heart disease, diabetes, and cancers. The new unit has a current total bed capacity of eight, which can be scaled up to 12 beds,” said Dr Deredz.
Dr Deredzai underscored that individuals have a greater risk for developing kidney disease from poorly controlled diabetes mellitus or high blood pressure (hypertension). “Most dialysis patients require blood transfusion from time to time. Blood is readily available at the Colliery Hospital, whose laboratory is the blood bank store for Matabeleland North province, bringing greater convenience for haemodialysis patients.”
“The availability of haemodialysis services at the Colliery Hospital will go a long way in improving lives and outcomes for people in Hwange and surrounding areas by reducing the distance travelled by patients and travel costs to access haemodialysis. We can now diagnose and manage kidney disease without referrals to other centres for further management,” he said.
The Colliery Hospital also recently brought in specialist services in Obstetrics, Gynaecology, General Surgery, Orthopaedic surgery, and Ophthalmology for improved healthcare service provision.
