Kidney treatment needed across Yemen [Archives:2002/15/Health]

By: Yasser al-Mayyasi
Yemen Times Staff
Kidney disease in Yemen is causing the suffering of an untold number of people, as they continue to wait for national health care reform.
What is needed most are dialysis machines and more dialysis health centers. Dialysis is the term used to explain the cleaning and treatment of blood. Without regular treatment of their blood, several times a week, kidney disease patients die.
At this time there is only one dialysis center in the country, at the at al-Thowra Hospital in Sanaa.
And that means the majority of patients die, since they live in remote areas without care.
Causes of kidney failure
One specialist, Dr. Adel al-Hejami, confirms the problem.
Kidney failure is one the most serious malignant diseases in Yemen, he said. Patients fall prey to this kind of disease and there is no way to cure it, except to carry out dialysis to get rid of the accumulated poisons.”
Polluted water, malaria, bilharzia, food poisoning, diabetes, chronic kidney inflammation and the random taking drugs can be the causes of kidney failure.
Abduh Murshed Mohammed Nagi, a patient said “for about 17 years, I have become a victim of this disease. Two blood refinements (dialysis treatments) are conducted to me every two weeks. Medical blood refinement centers are unavailable except in the capital and this of course entails a lot of money. What about those who have a big families in some scattered remote villages?” he asked.
Mohammed Ali al-Washali, a six-year patient said that he couldn’t afford dialysis. “Kidney transplantation is another problem. No one can afford to travel abroad. This will cost a lot of money, he said.
Dialysis equipment needed
More dialayis equipment in Yemen is crucial, now and in the future, al-Washali said, especially since the disease is also hitting children.
One Yemeni child, Ali Ahmed Mohammed, notes his struggles.
I stay here alone with my family. I want to play, I want to study with my friends at schools and I want to go parks.”
Saffia Saleh, another youngster said children are completely cut off from their friends. “Children with kidney disease come from all over the republic, and like me they suffer a lot. My family is in strained circumstances and they haven’t nothing to spend, she added.
Faeza Farhan infected by this disease for four years, said medical apparatus doesn’t meet the requirements needed for by many patients. Its either old or broken down.
Nagi Ali Ibraheem, from Hodeidah, said that he is suffering from kidney failure for a long time and conducted a blood refinement at al-Thowra Hospital.
What makes him disappointed and frustrated, is the wretched living conditions.
Ne’ama Mohammed Ali, a housewife, said that she has three children and her husband is jobless. He gains his livelihood by collecting old plastic remains and tins and selling them in order to earn their subsistence.
Her kidney disease was caused by an infected abortion.
She wonders how the situation will be if the center has locked doors or its medical apparatus broke down. Hundreds of patients swarm to the center day and night.
Mohammed Hassan Othman’s kidney disease was incorrectly treated, and as a result he was in a coma for about three weeks. He then had to leave home and live by the hospital to get dialysis.
The Chairman of Kidney unit at al-Thowra Hospital, Abdulwali al-Haggami called it deplorable to see huge number of patients suffering from kidney failure in a time in which the hospital is dire need of medical apparatus.
It is the only unit in the republic and therefore we face a number of problems including huge number of patients.” he said.
We have to use medical apparatus excessively above its usual capacity. Accordingly, we have to abridge the number of hours from 2 to 3 hours with each patient every week,” he added.
Solutions
Cooperation is a must. Governmental as well as non-governmental organizations, charitable societies as well as the concerned bodies have to coordinate to get another dialysis center to Yemen. This will in turn save souls of thousands of patients, al-Haggami suggested.
The center at the beginning did its best to save a lot of patients. The first kidney transplanted operation was conducted successfully in 1998 by a Yemeni medical team.
A kidney center in Hodeidah was built in 1993 and was fully equipped with medical apparatus until 1998. Free medical services have been provided. Now the center has deteriorated completely.
It is true that center has been provided with medical equipment by the Health Ministry, but such equipment has only been enough for a few months.
Fifteen people have died as a result of the poor equipment.
People come from remote places to this center from treatment, from areas such as, Hajjah, Mahweet, Raima, Wesab and Haradh.
Changes needed
What is needed is extra units for the bedridden patients including the elderly people and women.
A qualified medical team must be trained in such units for receiving cases.
A good medical administration team is also needed to facilitate such.
Medical apparatus should be maintained.
The concerned bodies at the Health Ministry have to supervise and pursue its duties.
And there needs to be a well-studied plan to construct medical centers in different parts of the republic, particularly the remote areas where patients couldn’t afford treatment.
Its also necessary to train skilled professionals and have them work in all areas where theyre needed.
Therefore, there should be a cooperation with the Ministry of Civil Service and So there is a need for administration reform to support those steps and to find solutions to problems posed during the implementation process.
 

——
[archive-e:15-v:2002-y:2002-d:2002-04-08-p:./2002/iss15/health.htm]