Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Haemodialysis Care at a Tertiary Centre in South East Nigeria

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on health services for patients suffering from chronic diseases. Patients suffering from kidney failure require heamodialysis and this modality of treatment is mostly offered in the hospital. Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on haemodialysis care at a tertiary institution in South East, Nigeria include a reduction in the number of haemodialysis cases during the period of lockdown, an increase in the cost of heamodialysis, scarcity of materials used for the procedure and minor disruption of haemodialylsis care. An improvement in infection control practice at the dialysis unit is observed as a positive effect. It is advocated that the government should assist patients with kidney disease and make the procedure free to ameliorate the health and socio-economic hardships faced by the patients during the pandemic.