Dialysis Crisis in Kitwe: Renal Unit Breakdown Endangers Patients’ Lives

A serious health emergency is unfolding in Kitwe, where the Renal Unit at Kitwe Teaching Hospital has been out of operation for more than two weeks, putting the lives of at least 24 patients in jeopardy due to lack of access to vital dialysis treatment.

The Kidney Foundation of Zambia reports that the closure is forcing renal patients from Kitwe and surrounding areas—including Chingola—to travel long distances to Ndola Teaching Hospital up to three times weekly for dialysis. This has created a severe physical and financial strain on patients already battling poor health conditions.

Ndola Teaching Hospital currently operates with only six dialysis machines, but the sudden influx of patients from Kitwe has overwhelmed its capacity. Many patients have described the travel as both physically draining and financially unsustainable, with some noticing a sharp deterioration in their health since the Kitwe facility broke down.

Augustine Mukuka, Secretary General of the Kidney Foundation, has criticized the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) for falsely assuring the public that renal services were fully operational. He warned that some patients are now being forced to turn to private facilities, where dialysis costs are exorbitantly high—despite needing at least three sessions per week to survive.

Kitwe Teaching Hospital Public Relations Officer Hellen Hitima confirmed the renal unit shutdown was due to a pump failure. She added that the Ministry of Health is working with a vendor in South Africa to procure a replacement pump, which is expected to arrive within a week.

The ongoing crisis highlights the urgent need for reliable renal care infrastructure and timely government intervention to safeguard the health and survival of dialysis patients in Zambia.