By Staff Writer
Dialysis patients dependent on weekly blood transfusion to stay alive and healthy are being forced to pay almost double the regular costs for the service starting next month 1 September 2023.
The National Kidney Foundation, NKF, is responsible for providing the service where patients are required to undergo dialysis 3 times a week.
Patients are currently paying $10 a session or $30 weekly until the higher rates kick in as planned in a few weeks time.
Cabinet in a meeting of 5 July 2023 decided to increase service costs to $16.70 per session or $50 tala a week.
World inflation is being blamed for the jump in a dialysis hookup.
Letters circulated by the NKF to officially inform patients of the new costs, calculated close to $600 tala per session.
The NKF dialysis treatment has made it possible for more people to access the life saving service at home in Samoa.
Treatment was once available only in New Zealand where only a select few were able to affford because of the prohibitive costs.
Local patients were also required to remain in NZ indefinitely to access the regular weekly process of transfusion.