A proposal to establish a specialised kidney treatment and dialysis centre in Al Hajar has been referred to the Cabinet following a deadlock after councillors approved the plan twice but the Health Ministry rejected it on both occasions.
Members of the Northern Municipal Council unanimously backed area councillor Tariq Al Farasani’s call to implement the project on Property No 04070679 in Block 463, with a dedicated car park planned on adjacent Property No. 04033825 to serve patients and visitors.
However, the Health Ministry expressed strong reservations, with Under-Secretary Dr Lulwa Shuwaiter stating that sufficient facilities were already providing dialysis services across the kingdom.
She also noted that establishing such a centre requires extensive technical, financial, administrative and medical preparations and that the proposal cannot be treated as a ‘simple land-use request’.
Despite this, councillors pushed for the plan to be implemented, arguing that the issue is both ‘urgent and humanitarian’.
“This project is no longer an optional future plan – it is a pressing health necessity,” Mr Al Farasani said.
“Kidney failure patients are under immense pressure due to overcrowding in government hospitals and limited capacity in dialysis units. Many depend on regular sessions that simply cannot be delayed.”
He said the Health Ministry had confirmed that the centre was included in its future plans, but stressed that the current situation demands immediate implementation due to rising patient numbers.
“Patients travel long distances, struggle to secure suitable appointments and face exhausting routines several times a week. A centre located near residential areas will significantly ease this burden,” he added.
Mr Al Farasani explained that the Al Hajar location was carefully selected for its proximity to surrounding neighbourhoods, which would reduce pressure on hospital emergency departments and dialysis units while improving integration between primary and specialised care.
He also underlined the importance of allocating organised parking as part of the project’s success.
“Providing dedicated parking is not a secondary issue. It will prevent random roadside parking, reduce traffic congestion and ensure patients and their families can access the centre safely and comfortably,” he said.
“We are looking at this from a humanitarian and community perspective,” Mr Al Farasani added.
“This centre will represent a major step forward in the quality of healthcare services by providing a properly equipped facility capable of handling urgent cases and reducing the load on major hospitals.”
Dr Shuwaiter, in her response to the council, reiterated that dialysis services are already available at multiple facilities and that establishing a new standalone centre involves complex operational requirements.
“Such services require specialised staffing, equipment, budgets and administrative frameworks. These matters fall within comprehensive healthcare planning and must be evaluated within the ministry’s overall strategy,” she noted.
But councillors argued that statistics and planning frameworks do not always reflect the daily strain faced by patients and their families.
With the proposal approved twice by the council and rejected by the ministry, the matter has now been escalated to the Cabinet for a final decision.
Councillors hope the higher authority will weigh healthcare planning considerations against the lived realities of patients whose lives revolve around dialysis schedules.
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