Patients with kidney failure in the North West Region are in limbo as the North West Regional Delegate of Public Health and the Director of the Bamenda Regional Hospital disagree over the closure of the haemodialysis centre.

On Sunday, January 3, the Director of the Bamenda Regional Hospital, Dr Denis Nsame announced the temporary closure of the dialysis centre.

“…due to unforseen acute breakdown of the machines in the dialysis, the haemodialysis centre has been temporary closed and patients transferred to other General and Regioal Hospitals of the country pending lasting solution to the machines of the centre,”

On the same day, the North West Regional Delegate of Public Health, Dr Kingsley Che Soh issued another release contradicting the Director of the Hospital, stressing the centre has not been closed.

“Rather, the haemodialysis machines which have been serving patients for more than eight years now are progressively being replaced by the Minister of Public Health, and the new machines shall go operational in the days ahead,” the Regional Delegate of Public Health said.

“While some patients have voluntarily moved to seek care in some other haemodialysis centres in the country during this short period, we are calling on all the others to exercise a bit of patience, as they shall be informed as soon as the new machines are installed,” the Regional Delegate added.