MANY kidney patients in need of regular dialysis treatment are in danger after medical aid schemes reportedly stopped providing full cover to members requiring specialist care at private health centres.

This has left desperately ill kidney patients stranded following the closure of the renal dialysis unit at Parirenyatwa Hospital.

Health experts yesterday said kidney patients need at least two sessions a week for dialysis and this means spending about US$400 or $80 million cash weekly for the treatment.

Among the medical aid societies that have stopped giving full cover to their members is Cimas and members are upset that society failed to give them adequate notice before the changes.

"This is like sentencing people to death," fumed one member. "I walked into a hospital expecting my medical aid to cover for my husband’s dialysis as usual but l was told that this was no longer possible."

"You do not want to be told such life-changing and important information over the counter by someone at a medical centre because I did not enter into a contract with that person.

"Cimas can’t change a contract we signed with them without due notice."

The plight of renal patients has been further worsened by the recent closure of the renal unit at Parirenyatwa where dialysis was affordable for many kidney patients although by the time of its closure months back, only two machines out of about 18 were reportedly working.

The Minister of Health and Child Welfare, David Parirenyatwa said their biggest challenge was lack of resources.

"The whole issue around equipment is that we need resources. Once we get money, most of the challenges we are facing will be solved."

But the chairman of the Zimbabwe Doctor’s for Human Rights (ZDHR), Douglas Gwatidzo said most medical insurance schemes were failing to meet the ever-escalating costs of specialist medical care.

"As a result of the hyper-inflationary environment most medical aid insurance schemes have become meaningless and they have just stopped covering any specialist care," he said.

On the closure of the renal units at Parirenyatwa, Gwatidzo said the move was "not surprising at all".

"If we go by what the general services withdrawal in state hospitals has been like it’s not surprising at all that the units were closed," Gwatidzo said. "Actually it would have been a miracle if under this economic and political crisis these units had remained functional."

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