HIGH MORTALITY RATE LEADS TO ESTABLISHMENT OF KIDNEY DIALYSIS FACILITY

BY RAYLEEN WANJIMAN

Kidney failure has become one of the leading causes of death in Tabubil, prompting Ok Tedi Mining Limited to establish a new kidney dialysis facility aimed at saving lives in Western Province.

The company says health reports from Tabubil Hospital identified kidney failure as the second highest cause of death in 2023, raising serious concerns over the growing health burden in the region.

Ok Tedi Health Services Manager Raymond Singamis said the facility was developed in response to the alarming rise in kidney disease cases, with more than 6,000 patients accessing health services every month which most of them are local residents.

Mr Singamis says the new dialysis unit will strengthen life-saving treatment services for employees, business partners and communities in Western Province.

The facility was delivered in partnership with the PNG Kidney Foundation and it is the third kidney dialysis centre in Papua New Guinea outside Port Moresby and Mendi.

Ok Tedi Board Director Bonny Ninai says the facility gives hope to patients suffering from severe kidney disease by improving access to specialised treatment in a remote part of the country.