'Zimbabwe govt to blame for death of kidney patients'

Senator Tapfumanei Wunganayi Muzoda has called on the government to urgently establish haemodialysis facilities across all health institutions in Zimbabwe to address the alarming number of deaths among kidney patients. 

Speaking during a Senate session debate on chronic diseases, Muzoda highlighted the critical need for accessible kidney treatment services, noting that currently, such services are predominantly available in private clinics and hospitals, making them financially unattainable for many.
Muzoda emphasized that with Zimbabwe's abundant natural resources, it is unacceptable for citizens to suffer and die due to lack of basic medical equipment such as kidney treatment machines. She urged the government to prioritize the procurement of dialysis machines, pointing out that the current situation where only two machines are operational in the entire country - at Mpilo and Parirenyatwa hospitals - is inadequate and leaves patients outside Harare without timely access to treatment.

The senator stressed the urgency of expanding dialysis services to prevent the worsening of kidney ailments, which she described as silent killers. She also called for comprehensive healthcare infrastructure improvements, advocating for diagnostic machines for chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, and hypertension to be available at district levels. This, she argued, would ensure early detection and effective management of these conditions, thereby reducing complications and fatalities associated with them.