Turning now to health - there could be relief in sight for long suffering patients with kidney failure. These persons depend on costly dialysis treatments to stay alive. Simply put, if they don't get dialysis at least twice weekly, they will die. It's a stark reality, and it is made more grim by that fact that two dialysis sessions- which is the bare minimum for survival - can cost close to five hundred dollars a week. That's almost twenty five thousand dollars a year - just to stay alive!
That's why patients with end stage renal failure have been begging government to subsidize a private programme to make dialysis treatments more affordable. Today, the acting Prime Minister announced that Cabinet is on the verge of finalizing something:..
Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
"We are going to make a big announcement shortly about dialysis. Our decision has only been held up because we wanted to make sure that we have an exact number of clients who use the service, because the figures that had come to us were conflicting and we are looking very closely at the situation. We intend to have cabinet on the 18th next Tuesday and that matter should yield some kind of decision finally on the dialysis issue."
Reporter
"There are some criticisms though about it not being an open bid."
Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
"Well I don't want to get into the details. I'll ask your patience as we continue to try work it out and you will see how all of that will work out at that time."
We know that two groups have been vying for the subsidy contract - thus the complaint about the lack of an open tendering process.
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