Kidney patients in southern Ca Mau Province have had to go without treatment recently because the hospital has been provided with fewer kidney dialysis machines and medicines for lack of funding.

 Patients waiting their turn at Ca Mau General Hospital

On November 12, hundreds of kidney patients from Ca Mau General Hospital manifested to call for a help.

According to them, doctors said they are incurring losses from kidney dialysis and other medical services for kidney patients due to the slow payment from health insurance agencies. The situation has forced the hospital to cut back on these services.

Nguyen Van May, 39, from Tan Duc Commune, Dam Doi District, said he has been undergoing treatment for his kidney disease for nine years. The frequency of his dialysis treatments has dropped from three times per week to only twice. They have also decreased his medication.

Several other patients who are being treated for kidney diseases for several years face the same situation.

“I feel more tired and don’t dare to eat,” Nguyen Thi Canh, from Ca Mau City said.

Doctor Tran Thi Chinh, Deputy Director of the hospital, said they have 18 dialysis machines but one is broken and five are being repaired.

The lack of equipment means that patients are treated less frequently. About 220 people are in need of dialysis, which means that each working machine must be used 2,000 times per month.

In the past, around 100 patients were provided with the service each day, while now only around 20 are treated, he said.

“We’ve proposed that local government invest in buying an additional 10 machines and adjust medical fees to make it more affordable to more people,” said Doctor Huynh Quoc Viet, Director of the provincial Department of Health.

A doctor from the hospital said many patients are suffering due to insufficient medical treatment.