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Government: Relief For Dialysis Patients Top Priority

Prime Minister Allen M. Chastanet has indicated that due to of the pressing need for dialysis services in Saint Lucia, Government is hoping to open the Dialysis Unit at the new Owen King-EU Hospital ahead of the official handing over of the hospital.

The Prime Minister made this recommendation to a distinguished team of health professionals who made the presentation to Cabinet on Monday, September 19, 2016.

At the session, the Health team brought Cabinet ministers up to speed on the status of the transition from Victoria Hospital to the new medical complex at Millennium Heights.

The Prime Minister highlighted the growing waiting list of dialysis patients, pointing to a need for health officials and Cabinet to examine ways of continuing dialysis treatment at the Victoria Hospital in order to compliment and strengthen service delivery at the Owen King-EU Hospital.

“It will take approximately two months to have twelve (12) renal dialysis chairs on island to equip the new medical complex, so we’re looking at November 2016,” explained the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Mr. Wenn Gabriel.

The Government will also implement a targeted amnesty for the benefit of dialysis patients who have accumulated high fees. This will come into effect in the next few weeks.

Dialysis is a process of removing waste and excess water from the blood and is used primarily as an artificial replacement for lost kidney function in people with kidney failure.

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