The Mbale Regional Referral Hospital has received dialysis machines worth Shillings 200 million from the Health Ministry. These machines will play a crucial role in treating patients with kidney failure problems, reducing the need to send patients to other referral hospitals in Kampala for kidney treatment.
Dr. Erick Ebono, who will be leading the dialysis unit at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, mentioned that they had been regularly sending 2 to 3 patients every week to Kiruddu or Mulago Referral Hospitals in Kampala for kidney treatment.
This indicates a significant demand for kidney care services in the region.
Patients most affected by this situation included mothers who suffered kidney injuries after giving birth and individuals who had kidney problems, possibly due to alcohol overindulgence.
The arrival of these dialysis machines in Mbale will greatly improve the accessibility of kidney treatment for such patients, as they will no longer need to travel long distances to receive care.
Dr. Ebono also expressed gratitude to the team of doctors from Kiruddu Hospital in Kampala who trained them in how to use the dialysis machines, emphasizing the importance of knowledge transfer and collaboration among healthcare professionals.
One of the doctors from Kiruddu Hospital mentioned that many regions across the country, including the north, west, and eastern regions, now have dialysis units.
This expansion of services will likely save more people with permanent kidney failures by providing them with access to timely and essential treatment closer to their homes.
Yono Obo, the Senior Director of Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, thanked the Government of Uganda for providing this valuable equipment. He highlighted the financial burden on patients who had to be referred to Mulago or Kiruddu Hospitals in terms of transportation and travel expenses, indicating that the new dialysis unit will alleviate this cost burden for patients in the Mbale region.