Fijians with an annual household income of less than $30,000 will only have to pay $75 for dialysis treatment.

Those earning $30,000 or above will have to pay $150 per treatment at the National Dialysis Centre and Kidney Research Centre in Nadera.

Health Minister, Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete confirms the new centre will be commissioned in the next few days.

He adds the dialysis machines were installed last week and are being tested before patients can start receiving treatment.

“As you’ve been briefing us that hopefully next week you will start testing the machines using the Reverse Osmosis then we can treat the patients here.”

The Minister says they will continue to provide these essential services in the Northern and Western Divisions.

“The nephrologists that are based here in Nadera and also the one in Lautoka have identified the patients who may actually need dialysis. They have been in contact with them, they are seeing them in their clinics, given them the relevant medicines, we have registered them.”

The Health Ministry last year spent over $100,000 to facilitate dialysis treatment for about 830 patients.

The new centre is expected to receive up to 20 people per week.