The Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Régional de Ouahigouya (in the Nord region) now has an operational hemodialysis unit. The inauguration of the infrastructure was followed by the launch of the unit’s activities on Saturday September 11, 2021, in the presence of the Minister in charge of health, Pr Charlemagne Ouédraogo, who represented the head of government.
According to a study revealed by Ouahigouya town hall, 118 people suffering from chronic renal failure have been identified in the northern region. The cost of treatment (500,000 FCFA) is out of reach for people living in precarious conditions. The 2nd deputy mayor of the commune therefore pleaded with the government to subsidize the cost of treatment so that the above-mentioned patients, living in a precarious situation, could bear the costs.
The Minister of Health responded immediately to the local authorities’ concerns about the cost of care, indicating that the Ouahigouya unit would benefit from a specific state subsidy of over 300 million CFA francs per year. The funds will be used primarily to purchase kits and provide hemodialysis treatment for some sixty patients with chronic kidney failure, with two sessions per week, as well as for cases of acute kidney failure for which hemodialysis is temporary.
A few weeks ago, the Caisse Nationale d’Assurance Maladie Universelle (CNAMU) launched the distribution of almost 1,000 insurance cards to needy people in this region of Burkina Faso. An operation that could be put to good use for the long-term care of people benefiting from this hemodialysis unit.
