Hermodialysis Unit
This unit was established in Cameroon around the early 1980s initially in the capital city. The Regional Haemodialysis Centre of the Buea regional Hospital was inaugurated on the 30/09/2011 following the announcement by the Head of State to bring dialysis and kidney care close to the population by equipping each region of Cameroon with a dialysis centre. Buea centre was the third to open his door to patient (after Bamenda and Garoua) with considerable equipment and personnel to contribute to the amelioration of the health care of the south west population and beyond by offering up to date management on kidney diseases and dialysis. The centre opened with the capacity of 08 dialysis machines and a water treatment and proposing to welcome a maximum of 32 patients receiving three dialysis sessions per week. Over years, the number of patients has been increasing and today the centre host 86 patients receiving two dialysis sessions per week
- Dialysis: Haemodialysis is one of the most commonly used kidney replacement therapy in the world, whose purpose is to replace the blood cleaning function of the kidney by removing excess fluid and waste products in blood and stabilize the body’s internal environment. This is the main activity of the centre. We received patients for all part of the country. Its wise noticed that half of our patients are from Kumba!
- When dialysis is needed? You need dialysis if your kidneys no longer remove enough wastes and water from your blood to keep you healthy. This usually happened when you have only 10 to 15 percent of your kidney function left. You may have symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, swelling and fatigue.
- How does hemodialysis Work? Hemodialysis is a procedure where a dialysis machine and a special filter called artificial kidney are use to clean your blood. A pipe is place in the bid vein and from there the blood is taking into the machine and the filter will remove the waste and the water then the clean blood is return to the body through the same pipe. The dialysis process can last 04 hours per session. Dialysis does not treat the kidney; it helps to perform part of the functions of the kidney while waiting for the kidney to recover.
- How long a patient can receive dialysis treatment? In some cases of sudden or acute kidney failure, dialysis may only be needed for a short time until the kidneys get better (10 days to one month). However, when chronic kidney failure and no hope for renal failure, you will need dialysis for the rest of your life unless you are able to receive a healthy kidney from another person (transplant, not yet possible in Cameroon).
- How costly is dialysis? Dialysis treatment in Cameroon is subsidized by the government and the patient contribution is 5000 Frs. per dialysis. So we can estimate it to be 40000 per month. But there are indirect costs that need to be considered. The creation of the access (pipe to get the blood), the repeated blood transfusion, laboratory investigations, transportation to the centre, feeding at the centre and drugs are all at the charge of the patient and make dialysis treatment to be very expensive for the patients.
- Consultation The doctors at the centre offer consultations in various domains: – Kidney diseases – Internal medicine – Infectiology The doctors are present 7/7 for emergencies and Monday to Friday for routine consultation.
- Health talks on dialysis, kidney failure, prevention of kidney diseases With the help of some of our partners, we frequently organize health talk on kidney diseases and related topic in the centre, school, churches…. And also in various radio and TV station of the region.
