Fijians who suffer from kidney failure and require dialysis treatment can now expect to pay around seventy five dollars from the hundreds of dollars usually spent on the treatment.

This has been possible through government’s subsidy of $3.5m allocated for this financial year.

Minister for Health Rosy Akbar says this will be possible with the establishment of the National Kidney Research and Dialysis Centre which will be situated in Nadera along with a branch in Nadi.

“The National Kidney Research and Dialysis Center which is undergoing fit outs will become Fiji’s first public system of chronic dialysis service and depending on the household incomes, patients will be able to access treatment from as low as seventy five dollars.”

However with 80 percent of Fiji’s fatalities resulting from non-communicable diseases, Akbar says the key message in Kidney Health will be on prevention and leading a healthy lifestyle.

“We will not let this subsidy cast a shadow on our advocacy programs. We want people to understand it’s very important to lead a healthy life.”

It’s estimated that around 550 Fijians die yearly as a result of kidney failure and the inability to access dialysis treatment or undergo a transplant.