SANAA, Feb 7 (Bernama) — Thousands of Yemenis with kidney failure are at risk of dying unless the country’s remaining dialysis centres receive more supplies and its medical staff are paid, says the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The conflict in Yemen has ravaged the country’s infrastructure, leading to catastrophes such as the recent cholera crisis. But the damage to the nation’s health care sector is so vast that individuals with chronic diseases can’t access life-saving treatment, said ICRC in a statement Wednesday.
An astonishing 25 per cent of dialysis patients in Yemen have died every year since conflict began in 2015. More dialysis supplies, functioning dialysis machines, and funding for staff salaries are urgently needed to ensure the mortality rate does not rise further for Yemen’s 4,400 renal failure patients.
“The urgent needs of dialysis patients underscore how conflict has devastated Yemen’s health care system, negatively affecting many people with long-term health concerns,” said ICRC’s head of delegation in Yemen, Alexandre Faite.
Of the 32 dialysis centres Yemen had before the war, four have closed; the other 28 are struggling to provide services, with broken machines, a lack of essential supplies and unpaid staff. Patients normally require three, four-hour sessions per week.
In Yemen, the fragile situation has forced patients to cut back to two sessions.
The ICRC supports five dialysis centers in Yemen namely in Sanaa, Aden, Shabwa, Mahwitt and Hajja.
Source: BERNAMA
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