Dori: The Minister of Health, Dr. Robert Lucien Jean-Claude Kargougou, expressed his dissatisfaction with the delay in the construction of the hemodialysis center at the Regional Hospital Center (CHR) in Dori. Eleven months after the laying of the first stone, he noted that the building was 40% completed, for a contractual deadline already 50% consumed.
According to Burkina Information Agency, this project, eagerly awaited by the populations of the Sahel region, aims to provide the CHR with a modern system for treating kidney failure patients, in order to reduce costly medical evacuations to other locations. On Sunday, October 27, 2024, the Minister of State, Minister of National Defense and Veterans Affairs, Brigadier General Kassoum Coulibaly, and his counterpart for Health, Dr. Kargougou, laid the foundation stone.
The infrastructure was expected to be completed within seven months. However, nearly a year after this symbolic act, the work has experienced significant delays, causing concern among the government and the beneficiary populations. According to Minister Kargougou, the delay is due to technical and logistical constraints. On the one hand, soil studies have delayed the actual start of work. On the other hand, difficulties in supplying the site with construction inputs have contributed to slowing progress.
“I am not satisfied with the current pace. The main thing is that the company now meets the deadlines so that the region has its own hemodialysis center,” the minister said. To correct the situation, Dr. Kargougou urged the company in charge of the work to redouble its efforts, doubling its teams and working full-time. He also demanded a weekly report on the progress of the construction site.
The future hemodialysis center at the Dori University Hospital will include 14 stations. Twelve of these will be used for routine sessions and two others for emergencies. Once operational, this community tool will offer populations in the region the possibility of receiving care on site, thus reducing the suffering and costs associated with travel to Ouagadougou or other cities.
The minister recalled that the government attaches importance to the diligent execution of this project, which is part of the national policy of strengthening health infrastructure. Dr. Kargougou’s visit to the Dori hemodialysis center construction site highlights the importance of this infrastructure for the Sahel region, but also the challenges associated with its timely completion. The government remains committed to ensuring the rapid completion of this vital project, which will provide relief to patients suffering from kidney failure and strengthen the technical platform of the Dori CHR.