The Health Minister, Hon. Kailash Kumar Jagutpal inaugurated a new Haemodialysis Unit at the New Souillac on 10 March 2022 in the presence of the WHO Representative, Dr Laurent Musango and other personalities to mark World Kidney Day in Mauritius. This new Unit comprising 22 haemodialysis machines has the capacity to accommodate around 150 patients and aims at decentralizing further the treatment of patients suffering from kidney disease.
Some 1,500 patients in Mauritius undergo dialysis treatment in the five Regional Hospitals, the New Souillac Hospital, the Long Mountain Hospital, and Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Rodrigues. The Ministry of Health and Wellness also collaborates with private clinics to accommodate more patients with the increasing number of patients requiring dialysis treatment.
In his address, Dr Hon. Jagutpal emphasized the importance of sensitizing the population on kidney diseases and promoting a healthy lifestyle. The Health Minister explained that the Government disbursed some Rs 150 million to enable 250 patients to undergo dialysis treatment in private clinics. He urged the population to take advantage of the numerous sports facilities put at their disposal across the country.
Dr Laurent Musango, the WHO Representative in Mauritius highlighted, “the high NCD burden in Mauritius and the disastrous impact of uncontrolled diabetes on the kidney function.” He added that many of the NCDs when uncontrolled can impact severely on kidney function.
