Henry wants kidney dialysis facility for SVG

Decent Henry is spearheading a mobilization effort to set up a kidney dialysis facility here.

Henry, who has recently brought to St Vincent 13 dialysis machines, said: “We are trying by December to see if we can raise sufficient money to find an appropriate place”.{{more}} Ten of the machines are being housed at a community centre. They were donated by the Royal Free Hospital in London.

Speaking to Searchlight on Tuesday, September 16, Henry, who has been on dialysis for 28 years, said: “The ideal situation for me is to have the government of the day accept these machines and install them in a corner of the hospital”. He is aware of the diagnostic centre presently under construction in Georgetown, but would like a facility to be put in place until the centre is completed.

This is in an effort to help take the burden off the patients who have to travel aboard for treatment.

Henry, who is originally from Georgetown but presently lives in the United Kingdom, is home on vacation, and since he has been here has provided dialysis treatment for Jamieson Samuel and Gregory Jerrol. “If a facility is available, patients would not have to wonder where their next dialysis treatments are coming from,” he stressed.

Very passionate on the issue, he said his heart goes out to persons who died needlessly because they did not have access to treatments.

Henry noted that it is displeasing to him when persons comment that it is too costly to treat a dialysis patient. “That is an offence to me because England didn’t think it was too dear to treat me, and I’m a foreigner,” he explained.

He has since opened a bank account at National Commercial Bank (NCB) for persons who wish to help him in his drive. The account number is 1108135. (VM)