Kidney Patients at Risk as Hospitals Suspend Dialysis

Dialysis services across Zambia are under serious strain following a nationwide shortage of renal consumables that has forced several public hospitals to suspend or sharply reduce treatment for kidney patients.

The Kidney Foundation of Zambia has raised alarm over the situation, warning that patients dependent on regular dialysis are facing growing health risks as essential supplies run dry. The organisation says the shortage has already disrupted services in major towns, including Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe, Kasama, Mongu, and Livingstone, where dialysis units are either operating at minimal capacity or have stopped treatment altogether.

Foundation Secretary General Augustine Mukuka said the disruption stems from unpaid debts owed by government to the country’s sole supplier of renal consumables. These arrears, he explained, have halted the delivery of critical items such as dialysis tubing, bloodlines, filters, and disinfectants, leaving hospitals unable to provide full treatment.

Mukuka noted that the looming crisis had been flagged months earlier, with warnings issued in late 2025. Despite those alerts, he said no corrective action was taken in time to prevent the current breakdown in services.

He explained that the shortage has placed kidney patients in an increasingly difficult position, forcing many to purchase their own consumables in order to continue receiving life sustaining treatment. The cost of a single dialysis session now ranges from about K2,200 to K8,800, a price far beyond the reach of most families.

As a result, some patients are reducing the frequency of their dialysis sessions, a decision that carries serious medical consequences. Irregular or delayed treatment can lead to rapid health deterioration, hospitalisation, and, in severe cases, death.

Mukuka said the interruption of dialysis services has already had fatal outcomes for some patients who were unable to access consistent care. He described the situation as a direct threat to the survival of people living with kidney failure, emphasising that dialysis is not optional treatment but a medical necessity.

The impact of the shortage has not been limited to public hospitals. Mukuka revealed that some private health facilities accredited by the National Health Insurance Management Authority, NHIMA, have stopped treating renal patients due to delayed reimbursements. Without timely payments from the insurance body, these facilities say they cannot continue providing dialysis services at their own cost.

This has further reduced the number of centres available to kidney patients, particularly those relying on insurance cover to access private care.

Mukuka called for urgent intervention from President Hakainde Hichilema and Minister of Health Dr Elijah Muchima, urging the government to move quickly to secure emergency procurement of renal supplies and settle outstanding debts with suppliers.

He stressed that reliance on a single supplier without contingency planning has exposed weaknesses in the current supply system. However, he maintained that the primary cause of the disruption remains unpaid invoices, which have effectively brought deliveries to a standstill.

The Kidney Foundation has also appealed for greater transparency and improved coordination within the health sector, including faster NHIMA payments to private providers and the development of diversified supply channels to prevent similar disruptions in future.

The Ministry of Health has not yet issued a public statement addressing the renal consumables shortage or outlining measures to restore normal service. Requests for comment sent to the Minister of Health’s office had not received a response as of January 25, 2026.

Health advocates warn that without swift action, the crisis could worsen in the first quarter of 2026, potentially placing further strain on hospitals and eroding public confidence in the health system.

For thousands of Zambians living with chronic kidney disease, the uncertainty surrounding access to dialysis has become a daily source of anxiety. With treatment increasingly tied to personal financial capacity rather than medical need, many patients now face a stark and unsettling reality as they wait for a lasting solution to the supply crisis.