In Sierra Leone, people are dying of kidney disease due to a lack of available treatment. But as of this month, kidney patients in Freetown can finally access the country’s first dialysis unit – thanks to the Israeli government.
Paul Hirschson, Israeli ambassador to Senegal and non-resident ambassador to Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Cape Verde, live-tweeted the first-ever dialysis treatment in Sierra Leone on December 15, 2016.
1st dialysis treatment in #SierraLeone completed. A life was saved. It's as simple as that. pic.twitter.com/EQfhZwZzOr
— Paul Hirschson (@paulhirschson) December 15, 2016
MASHAV, the Israel Foreign Ministry’s agency for international development cooperation, donated a dialysis unit to Connaught Hospital in the capital in 2012.
However, the dialysis system needs an adjacent water purification system and the hospital didn’t have one. When the Ebola crisis hit the Western African nation, no technician would fly into the country to set it up. Israel finally was able to send a technician to Freetown earlier this month.
“1st dialysis treatment in #SierraLeone completed. A life was saved. It’s as simple as that,” tweeted Hirschson.
All in place for 1st ever dialysis treatment in #SierraLeone. @Israel delivers on promise given. pic.twitter.com/5IEYWsV7Ia
— Paul Hirschson (@paulhirschson) December 14, 2016
[Photo: Twitter ]