20 patients to get free dialysis every month

dubai — Twenty needy patients will be given free dialysis by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) every month.

The DHA has launched the ‘Save a Life’ initiative for the patients — including expatriates — who cannot afford the treatment.

Dialysis becomes necessary when people lose 85 to 90 per cent of their kidney function.

It is estimated that more than 550 million people worldwide are affected by chronic kidney disease, and millions die each year because they do not have access to treatment such as dialysis.

Dialysis is a way of cleansing the blood when kidneys can no longer do the job. It gets rid of the body’s wastes, extra salt and water, and helps control blood pressure.

A healthy person’s kidneys filter around 120 to 150 quarts of blood each day. If the kidneys are not

working correctly, waste builds up in the blood. Eventually, this can lead to coma and death.

The cost of an average dialysis ranges from Dh650 to Dh1,000 per session and, on an average, a patient with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), awaiting a kidney transplant, requires dialysis three times a week.

Salim bin Lahej, head of the Health Fund Office at the DHA, said the initiative includes two packages for the two types of dialysis, haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

Each package will treat 10 patients. “The first package, which is for patients who require haemodialysis, includes a five-day hospital admission, placing a long-term haemodialysis catheter, and five haemodialysis sessions,” said Bin Lahej.

“This package also includes the medical tests required before undertaking the treatment.”

“The second package targets 10 patients monthly, who require peritoneal dialysis. This package includes the surgery to place the

tube [catheter] into part of the abdomen, a three-day hospital admission, and the tests required prior to the treatment,” he said.

Diabetes and high blood pressure have been found to be the top causes of kidney failure. Other problems that can cause ESRD include autoimmune diseases and genetic diseases (such as polycystic kidney disease), to name a few.

Those eligible to apply for the initiative must provide the following documents: a salary certificate, valid UAE residency (tourist

visas are not accepted), letter from work proving that the patient does not have health insurance, an account statement, and proof that the patient is not receiving financial aid from another party.

“This initiative, which is being implemented in partnership with the private sector, will be open until further notice to help as many patients as possible,” he said.

According to reports, more than 2,000 patients are currently receiving dialysis across the UAE.