RIYADH, 16 October 2006 — Fresh hope has been given to the Kingdom’s kidney failure patients. From early next year, a new program will make available free treatment that includes everything from the medical costs of blood cleansing to prescribed medication and even transportation to and from the hospital.
Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Salman, supervisor of the Prince Fahd ibn Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Patients, signed an agreement early on Sunday with the National Company for Cooperative Insurance (NCCI) in order to provide free kidney treatment for patients who are unable to afford the cost. The agreement was signed by Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Salman and NCCI Chairman Suleiman Al-Humaid.
The program, “The Welfare of Needy Kidney Failure Patients,” is scheduled to begin next year in the Kingdom. Thousands of patients are expected to benefit from it; it will be available initially in Riyadh and Jeddah.
Speaking to reporters, Prince Abdul Aziz said the program would cover the complete costs of blood cleansing in private hospitals or clinics, including all necessary medication needed during the cleansing sessions. He said the program would also provide free transportation for patients to and from the private hospitals or clinics. This is aimed at making attendance for patients both easy and regular.
“The society has contacted all kidney treatment centers in the Kingdom,” the prince explained. “NCCI will coordinate with the hospitals to receive the best prices which include diagnosis, the cleansing session, the prescribed medication and transportation.”
Asked how the society would pay the bills, Prince Abdul Aziz said that funding would come from charitable donations received by the society in addition to individual donations. He said that people could pay their zakah to the society which is performing a humanitarian mission.
As for patients who apply to the program, Prince Abdul Aziz said that a special committee had been organized to list the names of those who fulfill the conditions.
“In the preliminary stage, 400 patients will receive treatment from this program,” he said. He pointed out that according to social and medical studies, a kidney patient’s treatment costs about SR93,600 per year and that the establishment of the program in its first stage would cost approximately SR37 million.
Prince Abdul Aziz said that the society welcomed all donations from individuals or companies and said a special bank account had been established for this purpose. He also explained that a donor could sponsor the treatment for a specific patient.
He said the program would have a positive effect by not only providing free treatment to patients but also by reducing pressure on government hospitals as well as on kidney centers.
The society reported that 8,551 patients suffer from kidney failure in the Kingdom and that they were unable to receive treatment due to limited financial means or because government kidney treatment centers were unable to treat them because of the large number of patients.
A recent fatwa from Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh made it permissible for people to pay zakah to the society since its receivers would be people who are eligible for zakah.
According to the society, the number of kidney failure patients in the Kingdom is expected to increase to 10,000 by the year 2010.
