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Dialysis Services Being Provided At The KHMH
posted (January 26, 2011)
On February fourth, the hemo-dialysis units at the KHMH and the La Loma Luz Hospital will be officially opened. It's the product of years of back and forth with the WORTH foundation and the local kidney association, and six months of hard work since the MOU was signed.

But now it's a reality: the KHMH's Unit is up and running and presently 11 patients are receiving treatment. A complement of 15 specialized nurses will be spread between both units, along with a coterie of support staff including social workers, a nutritionists and clinicians. There is no resident nephrologist but consultations will be done daily via internet with WORTH Foundation founder Dr. Wayne Trebbin.

CEO of the KHMH Dr. Gary Longsworth told us why their dialysis programme will provide better care for victims of end stage renal failure:…

Jules Vasquez
"A program which will promote the wellness of people with end stage renal disease."

Dr. Gary Longsworth: CEO-KHMH
"End stage renal disease has many components of care a part from the actual dialysis. You need to look after the patients' other medical problems. You need to look after their nutrition. You need to consider their social and economic situation and we need to provide specialize pharmaceuticals to assist in the care of the patient. We need to provide regular lab services and every now and then you may get a situation where you need to provide additional specialist services to the patient for complete care and that's the idea behind the program; it should be a comprehensive program. It's not that these things is not available outside of our program. They are available but they come at additional cost to the patient, but they are all available."

Jules Vasquez
"Right it has agenda with in a program, now it is?"

Dr. Gary Longsworth: CEO-KHMH "In our program its subsidize, it's part of the package so its avail to the patient under heavy subsidy, so for them its practical free, everything."

That subsidy is 1.8 million dollars a year, up from the 1.6 million dollars which was being paid to Belize Heathcare Partners to provide dialysis to 26 patients. With the saving realized by the contribution of materials and equipment from WORTH, the programme will now be expanded to 32 patients.

The multi sectoral selection committee to decide who those six additional persons will be met for the first time today.

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