Story by Abigirl Tembo, Health Editor
THE National AIDS Council (NAC) has injected US$2 million into the establishment of a modern family blood bank and renal dialysis unit at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.
The investment is expected to improve safe blood and dialysis services as well as efficiency and turnaround times at the country’s largest referral hospital.
Speaking during the handover of the facilities in Harare this Wednesday, NAC Chief Executive Officer, Dr Bernard Madzima, said the initiative is part of the organisation’s broader commitment to strengthening critical hospital services that benefit the general populace, including people living with HIV.
“Some of the services which need to be here are the provision of safe blood, and also the provision of renal services, and this is why we came in to support Parirenyatwa Hospital. It’s the main hospital in the country, and in as much as we want to then expand to other services, we really want Parirenyatwa Hospital to be fully functional, to be effective.
“So, the setting up of this blood bank in Ward C10 will ensure that those patients who need blood get it timeousl, and the setting up of this renal unit for dialysis will also ensure that the patients who need the services for dialysis get the services. This equipment is modern and it will ensure that the services which are being given are at the highest level. So, in essence, Parirenyatwa Hospital is strategic to NAC.
“We have patients who live with HIV, people living with HIV who still access the services, and even those who are HIV negative will access the services. Later on, when we have established how efficient and how useful this is, we will then go to the other hospitals, mainly in the southern part of the country so that we reduce the issue of patients travelling.
“The two projects have cost about US$2 million. We have supported in terms of the provision of equipment as far as the family blood bank is concerned. For the renal unit, we’ve bought reagents worth about US$900 000,” he said.
The availability of blood and the modernisation of the renal unit come as a huge relief for dialysis patients who have long endured lengthy waiting hours.
“On behalf of all the patients in this room who are getting dialysis services, we are really grateful for this capital injection from NAC because it will help us get our dialysis on time, and we won’t have to wait for long because the resources are now available. We would also appreciate it if we could have help with the supplements so that they are readily available at all times. We’ve also noticed that there is a problem with water, a water shortage and if there’s no water, then the machine doesn’t work. We also have other patients in this room coming from as far as Kariba, so if we maybe had dialysis in those places, it could help a lot,” noted a dialysis patient, Ms Linnet Chibema.
The Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Honourable Sleiman Kwidini, commended NAC for its continued partnership with the government in improving access to quality healthcare services.
“It is always good to work with partners who are willing to assist, as the ministry we are very grateful and very much happy that it is a milestone which has taken us to another level so that our patients are assisted on time.
“As the government, we want to make sure that these specialised treatments are found everywhere and they are going to make people receive it timeously at a needed time,” he said.
The initiative underscores NAC’s commitment to strengthening essential health services and supporting government efforts to modernise the country’s referral hospitals.
