Minister for Heath, Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete says they are providing subsidised dialysis treatment in Labasa and will soon provide it in the West and Suva although National Federation Party MP, Lenora Qereqeretabua says patients are being denied subsidised dialysis in hospitals.
While making her End of the Week Statement in parliament, Qereqeretabua says the Minister for Health had said in July last year that the government was going to ease the burden as the new dialysis machines had been purchased and a nephrologist had already identified 40 patients who needed dialysis treatment urgently.
She says she believes this is a pre-election gimmick, and the allocation fell from their pre-election promise of $3.5 million to $200,000 in 2019 and further reduced to $100,000 in 2020.
Qereqeretabua says the Minister for Economy had announced in the 2017-18 National Budget that the government will allocate $1 million to establish and equip the National Kidney Research and Treatment Centre in Suva which will advance the treatment of kidney diseases in Fiji by operating 10 new kidney dialysis machines and the machines will also become operational in Lautoka Hospital in the next few months.
Qereqeretabua says the next few months is still coming, patients are being denied subsidised dialysis in hospitals and the so called dialysis and research centre is gathering dust.
She says the pain and suffering of dialysis patients, struggling to make ends meet and to survive, due to the Fiji First government’s broken promises is tragically captured by the death of a man early yesterday morning at the Lautoka Hospital who will be accorded his final rites on the day of his birthday – tomorrow.
She has also highlighted that government should extend subsidised dialysis to patients using private facilities.
Minister for Health, Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete says Lenora Qereqeretabua has lied and the Nadera Medical Centre is not gathering dust, and in fact is functioning.
He says there are 15 dialysis machines which arrived in April and 10 are at that Centre and the others have been distributed because they want to be able to support ICU facilities for COVID-19 so these machines are in Suva, Lautoka and Labasa hospitals.
Waqainabete says once commissioned into service, the machine will add to the number of dialysis machines.
The Minister has also highlighted that the Kidney Foundation of Fiji is not part government and they run their own dialysis centre. He says the Kidney Foundation charges $250 and other private clinics including he Kidney Hub charges $200, Biomedical Centre charges $200, Pacifica Care charges $200 and Northern Dialysis charges $150.
Waqainabete adds that government fully subsidizes 15 to 20 Fijians in Labasa and the Centre in Suva, once it is open will begin dialysis at $150 when the subsidy kicks in and the Ministry is also in negotiation with dialysis centres in the West.
He says there is one in the West that is willing to come to them but the Ministry does not want added costs.
The Minister adds that it costs the government $9,300 a month in subsidy in Labasa.
Meanwhile, Waqainabete says NFP Leader, Biman Prasad misled parliament on Monday when he said there were no panadol and diabetic medication around the country.
He says Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Services has informed him that they have it available and have more than 87% of stock that is needed over a three month period.
The Minister adds that these types of statements have an effect on people who are coming to the hospitals and health centres.
Waqainabete adds that if you say things like that bluntly then people will say that why should they go to the hospital.
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