Ministry of Health says preparations are nearly complete to launch dialysis treatment at Mzuzu Central Hospital in October, in a move officials hope will ease the burden on kidney patients in the northern region who have long had to travel hundreds of kilometres for care.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Dan Namarika, said on Wednesday that the plans followed the allocation of K3 billion for dialysis services in the 2026/27 National Budget.

He said distance had long been one of the biggest barriers facing kidney patients from the north.

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"Up until now, people from the north have had to travel to Kamuzu Central Hospital to access dialysis services. Since this is a chronic condition requiring continuous treatment, maintaining access to care has been very difficult," Namarika said.

He added that government was also reviewing several pieces of legislation, including the Public Health Act and the Anatomy Act, with a view to eventually supporting organ transplant services in Malawi.

"The Ministry of Health is also laying the groundwork to introduce kidney transplant services within the next few years," he said.

Mzuzu Central Hospital's public relations officer, Blessed Kondowe, said the hospital was ready to begin offering the service once the necessary equipment was installed.

"Once the dialysis machines are installed, patients and guardians will no longer incur excessive costs travelling long distances. They will remain closer to their families and support systems, improving their quality of life," Kondowe said.

He added that bringing dialysis services closer to patients in the north would also reduce the cost to government of referring patients south for treatment.

"The government spends substantial resources referring patients to Lilongwe. At the same time, patients incur additional costs because they are far from home and away from family support," he said.

Hospital records show that the medical department at Mzuzu Central Hospital alone recorded 69 kidney-related inpatient cases between April and December last year -- a figure that excludes patients seen through outpatient, maternity, paediatric, intensive care or surgical departments.