By Staff Writer
Chairman of the National Council of Churches, Rev. Aisoli Iuli, inside the new NKF Dialysis Centre that officially opened today at the Moto’otua Health Compound.
The National Kidney Foundation, NKF, dialysis centre has taken over the newly renovated laboratory and pharmaceutical building on the eastern most end of the TTM Hospital inside the health compound at Moto’otua.
The solid cement building fronts off to the main road and was one of the main wings of the old hospital before all services centralized to the new multi-storey TTM Hospital building.
The relocation from the old premises at the Nurses Home, on the western end of the compound, became effective today following an official takeover ceremony.
The NKF forked out around $3m tala for the renovations with a special water filtering system and new dialysis ‘chairs’ as the main costs.
The added number of ‘chairs’ with supporting equipment and new staff, makes the centre capable of treating from around 20 to 60 patients at the same time.
While the promise of the service grows ‘bigger and better’ the dialysis centre is described as a place many ‘shunned’.
The Chairman of the National Council of Churches, Rev. Aisoli Iuli, expanded on the negative description in his sermon at the official opening prayer today.
“People do not like this place because it’s seen and felt to be where the patients are marking time before they passed on,” Rev. Aisoli admitted.
His wife went through dialysis treatment before her passing which made him intimately aware of the negative public reaction.
The retired Methodist Reverend tried to brighten up the ‘doom and gloom’ of pessimism with a cheerful spin in keeping with the spirit of Christmas and the birth of Baby Jesus in a barn manger.
“From out of this lowly ugly surrounding came this beautiful miracle of hope and salvation for the sins of mankind with the birth of our Lord and Savour’,” Rev. Aisoli preached.
He defended the dialysis centre as a place of hope where treatment for those with kidney failure need to continue to live and enjoy life with loved ones.
German technicians installed all the new ‘chairs’ for the dialysis centre as part of the assistance from the German Government to the NKF.