Apia, SAMOA — Overseas-based Samoan dialysis patients will now have to pay $600 tala per session if they want to undergo dialysis treatment at the national hospital in Samoa. This is an increase of fourfold. At the same time, CEO of the Kidney Foundation of Samoa confirmed that the new charges for local patients have increased from $30 to $50 tala per week.

This was confirmed by the Chief Executive Officer (C.E.O.) of the National Kidney Foundation of Samoa (N.K.F.), Mulipola Roger Hazelman in response to queries from the Samoa Observer. 

The changes to the new rates for dialysis treatment for both local and overseas-based patients were approved by the Cabinet in November last year. 

He also stated that the decision to modify the charges was driven by the growing number of patients, not just from Samoa but also due to the consistent rates maintained since 2006.

The new rates will help compensate for the costs of the sessions. 

"The increasing number of patients we have in Samoa and also from out of the country prompted us to review the charges because it can be costly," Mulipola said. 

"So for our local patients, they used to pay $30 tala per week but that has increased to $50 per week. 

"For our overseas-based patients, they used to pay $150 a session, but will now have to pay $600 per session. But that's still cheap compared to the cost our local patients have to pay when they go overseas to other countries.

"You are looking at paying $1,200 or more per session if you go overseas."

Read more at the Observer