Special Health Focus!North West, West Striking Hermodialysis Patients heave sigh of Relief as: Dr Kinge Thompson Assures them of New Dialyses Machines

The Director of the Bamenda General Hospital, Dr Kinge Thompson Njie, has disclosed that the Minister of Public Health Andre Mama Fouda, has promised to bring in new dialyses machines to replace the worn out machines. Talking to the Press last week 12th November 2014, after the seat down strike staged and orchestrated around finance junction in Bamenda blocking traffic by dialyses patients sick of a combination of diseases caused as a result of Kidney failure and needs only dialyses machines for system recycling, Dr Kinge said that the hermodialyses centre which was created since 2009 by the Head of State, President Paul Biya, to serve North West and West Regions has eight machines six of which have gone bad because of almost expired lifespan and has been repaired several times. He regretted that only two of the machines were now serving a total of 63 patients of the centre. Dr Kinge Thompson Njie said the Minister of Public Health has listened to the cries of the patients and the hospital officials and has promised to procure brand new machines. He noted that without the machines, the 63 patients who can only relieve themselves with the help of the hermodialyses machines will be in problem or have their health situation more complicated. “I should confirm that some of the patients are dying because of poor health conducts and because some of the cases are identified late, generally, dialyses patients live with very complex and unpredictable health situation, which is the more reason why they die”. He said the centre is not only serving North West and west given that they receive calls from France, Britain, and America in Cameroon from patients who indicate interest to under take treatment in Bamenda when they reach the country. Although the Director holds meetings with the Patients and technicians of the hermodialyses centre, he told this reporter that he has held several meetings too with government who is working very hard to replace the machines as soon as possible with brand new ones since the others have outlived their value. “I think we should all start by appreciating the Head of State, President Paul Biya, for his gesture. Before he gave the centre patients who suffered from kidney failure or problems before the centre was opened certainly died” he said with only two machines, working at the centre this time, they have ensured that two to three hours of dialyses a week will permit the ageing machines to work and have resting hours for sustainability, especially as the engineers have advised that the machines be given four hours of work daily so health also can be guaranteed. With the presence of the Centre, each patient receive two sessions of dialyses weekly and each session is 5000frs meaning that each patient pays 10,000 frs a week. But the Director who was thankful to the Head of State, said, “if the centre was not created and treatments subsidized, it would have cost a patient with kidney failure over 100,000frs to have treatment” beside the Head of State’s “Special Gift” to the North West Region, Dr Kinge added that an imagery centre which has already been constructed and equipped at the Bamenda Regional Hospital will soon be inaugurated. Dr Kinge’s expectations, harping on his visions, the Director disclosed that they have done a five years situational study and analysis development plan for the hospital indicating that the medical institution needs new buildings for emergencies, new administrative blocks, and the tarring of the entrance and hospital frontage. “we equally desperately need more medical doctors, specialists and general practitioners including generators to serve the hermodialyses centre and imagery centre” he said, they have already renovated the mortuary, repaired the chambers for the preservations of corpse and renovated the mortuary chapel for mourners to organize funeral services for their love ones, given that his intension is to make Bamenda Regional Hospital one of the Best in the Country