Help for those with renal failure

THE EDITOR: Over the past nine months I have been on haemodialysis treatment resulting from my health condition of end stage renal (kidney) failure and have been fortunate to benefit from satisfactory levels of treatment at private and state institutions.
It is in this connection, that I write this letter to you and request that you kindly publish it in your newspaper so that persons who may find themselves in a similar situation to my own may without uncertainty and delay, access treatment programmes and supporting financial aid provided by the government via the Ministry of Health.
Satisfactory levels of renal treatment are demanding and costly.
The availability of the benefits of C-DAP and other such programmes provided by the government to ailing persons, have been extremely helpful in their health care and financial needs.
It is with a deep sense of gratitude that I take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to the Minister of Health for his personal intervention in ensuring that the necessary or recommended quality of my health care need be given me and I dare say to many others who are similarly afflicted and with whom I have the pleasure of sharing related information.
Further, to my own experiences I have heard expressions from the afflicted and those who cannot afford the high cost of treatment at private health care institutions and who have therefore received health care provided by state institutions, speak highly of the improvements they are benefiting from the present state institution programmes. There are still, however, complaints about the inability of the Ministry of Health in meeting demands of the number of ailing persons requiring renal failure treatment. I trust that this situation will shortly be rectified.
In the circumstance, I wish to commend the Honourable Minister of Health as in spite of the many challenges he faces, in his efforts toward the attainment of quality health care for all citizens to the standard equal to that which is obtained in developed countries, his effort and drive remain steadfast.
It is important to note that a few years ago persons diagnosed with renal failure, felt a sense of hopelessness and despair due to the lack of satisfactory treatment locally. Experience with my deceased father is a case in point. Today, I can say, as one afflicted with this ailment, my initial feeling of such hopelessness has been replaced with anticipation of what the future holds.
From the foregoing it can no doubt, be concluded that persons suffering from renal failure need no longer resign themselves or submit to this ailment but can continue to live productive lives.
A further reason for my optimism stems from the acceptance of the assistance or voluntary work which is being undertaken by Friends of the Renal Support Group, which comprise mainly of persons afflicted suffering from renal failure and those who provide health care.