The Health Ministry has not come up with anything concrete so far in terms of working towards lowering the cost of dialysis in Fiji or providing free dialysis for those who need it.
Health Minister Rosy Akbar says the ministry will set up a new dialysis research hub from the $1 million dollars that has been given in next year’s budget.
She says it will be a facility which will provide dialysis for Fijians while conducting the much needed research to establish a base line of people who currently need the service.
Akbar says they have not secured a cheap consumables supplier yet.
She says dialysis treatment is provided free only for acute patients and not patients who are chronic, which means they need dialysis for life.
Akbar says the ministry will not provide dialysis for 13-year-old Ravouvou Naviri whose kidneys have failed and is undergoing dialysis treatment three times a week with a total weekly cost of $750.
Naviri’s dialysis treatments are being sponsored by a few people.
A permanent solution for Ravouvou would be a kidney transplant which is being considered.
