Patients on dialysis in the North West Region of Cameroon have staged a protest at the Regional Hospital Bamenda today January 5.

The protest is provoked by the breakdown of the last functioning machine at the hemodialysis unit of the Hospital.

Some of the patients carried placards bearing messages that read “we need help”, “Dialysis Patients Lives Matter”, amongst others.

Speaking to 24years old Ndum Mildred, she tells Insight244 that she has been on treatment for nine years now. She added that most of the machines at the centre had long expired and the last one got bad on the 31st of December 2020. “We are protesting because patients have been told to go to near by centres for check up”.

According to Fonjung Terence another dialysis patient, they are out to ask the Regional Delegate of Public health, Dr Kingsley Che Soh to explain what one machine can do to the number of dialysis patients at the hemodialysis unit.

The President of the Association of people living with kidney failures and Kidney transplant, Mr Mbinglo Francis said it is a serious situation as patients will need to discipline themselves “It will really be difficult for the patients. They need a lot of discipline. They need to minimize drinking water and eating certain foods that contain some toxins. Others may have to travel to other centres in other to dylise. You need transportation, you need feeding, you need lodging…it is going to weigh financially”.

Francis added that their fate depends on whether the machines promised them will arrive the centre “The regional delegate of public health has assured us that the minister has promised to send machines as soon as possible. Until we see them, we cannot say what our plight will be tomorrow”.

The Regional Delegate of Public Health, Dr Kingsley Che Soh and the Director of the Regional Hospital Dr Denise Nsame refused granting an interview to the press as concerning the issue. They promised doing that when the machines must have arrived.

The Minister of Public Health had tweeted yesterday promising to send eight new generators to the center today. As at the time of this post, the Center is yet to receive these machines.

By Quinter Fri