Kidney failure is a condition in which the kidneys They stop working and cannot eliminate waste and extra water from the blood or maintain the balance of body chemicals. This is a global public health problem that affects approximately 10% of the world’s population. In Bolivia, nearly 5,000 patients need up to three dialysis sessions per week to filter toxins from their bodies. The State, through the Ministry of Health, spends up to Bs. 250 million for these treatments, which are expensive in the private sector.
A feeling of anguish and despair, not surprisingly, has taken hold of kidney and diabetes patients in our area, following the announcement of the imminent closure of the hemodialysis service at the Davosan center, starting September 30. This is due to the lack of payment that has generated a debt of nearly Bs. 2.4 million and that makes the service “unsustainable” because it cannot cover the cost of the supplies for the treatment of patients, nor the payment of salaries of the staff in charge.
The problem has been dragging on since March and, despite its severity, So far, little or nothing has been done in the case of kidney and diabetic patients who are on alert, demanding that the central government fulfil its financial obligations to Davosan. For reasons that explain themselves, solutions are urgently needed to the painful drama that has arisen. People’s health is not to be trifled with.
