Relief for dialysis patients
Patients with renal failure who require dialysis treatment will no longer have to wait months to receive that treatment.
Relief is coming as the Ministry of Health has authorised 16 private health institutions to provide dialysis treatment within five days of the ministry’s receipt of an application from a patient.
Health Minister Fuad Khan made the announcement during the launch of phase two of the External Patient Programme (EPP) at the ministry’s Park Street, Port-of-Spain, head office yesterday.
He said patients could apply through the EPP or the Regional Health Authority (RHA) for assistance, following which they would be referred to a private centre close to their location.
Regarding payment for the treatment sessions, Khan said each patient would be provided with a cheque so they could sign off on the payment immediately after receiving treatment. In this way, he said there would be accountability, as the requisite checks and balances would be enforced.
Previously, patients diagnosed with renal failure had to wait for as long as two years to access grants from the ministry.
In many instances, patients were forced to utilise their own funds to access treatment, which could cost as much as $2,000 per session, with some patients requiring as many as three sessions per week.
Admitting it was not an ideal for patients to be waiting for months for treatment at one of the previous four government-appointed facilities, Khan said he was forced to intervene because those institutions were overwhelmed by the number of requests for treatment sessions.
The List
List of private health institutions providing dialysis treatment:
1. Barrackpore Medical Centre – 735 Papourie Road, Lower Barrackpore
2. Caribbean Kidney and Dialysis Institute Ltd – 239 Western Main Road, Cocorite
3. Corner Stone Haemodialysis Services Ltd – 206 Caroni Savannah Road, Charlieville
4. Cross Crossing Medical Centre Ltd – Oliver Avenue, Coconut Drive, Cross Crossing, San Fernando
5. Freeport Medical Centre – 105 Freeport Mission Road, Freeport
6. Health Net Caribbean Ltd – 144 Munroe Road, Cunupia
7. IME Dialysis Centre – 60 Donaldson Street, San Fernando
8. John Hayes Memorial Kidney Foundation – 20 Willis Street, Belmont
9. Medcorp Ltd – 18 Elizabeth Street, St Clair
10. Nova Medical Centre Ltd – 22 Mausica Road, D’Abadie
11. Princes Town Dialysis Centre – Railway Road, Princes Town
12. Trinidad Dialysis Centre Ltd – 49 Independence Avenue, San Fernando
13. V’med Ltd – 14 Princess Margaret Street, San Fernando
14. Westshore Medical – 239 Western Main Road, Cocorite
15. AANDCO Healthcare Ltd – 47 Eleanor Street, Chaguanas
16. Majterrence Dialysis Centre Ltd – 5 Uquire Road, Fireburn, Freeport