Medical staff members provide hemodialysis treatment to a patient at the newly opened hemodialysis center at Baingoin County People's Hospital‌ in western Nagqu, Xizang autonomous region. [Photo/Tide News]

A regional hemodialysis center in western Nagqu, Xizang autonomous region, opened on Aug 27 at Baingoin County People's Hospital‌ at an altitude of 4,750 meters. It offers local patients easier access to dialysis services close to home. Supported by Taizhou in Zhejiang province, this center is China's highest-altitude county-level hemodialysis facility and the first of its kind in Nagqu.

Previously, patients with kidney disease in the region had to travel to downtown Nagqu or Lhasa for treatment, adding financial and travel burdens. The Taizhou medical assistance team worked to address shortages of facilities, equipment, and medical personnel by improving the center's infrastructure and training local healthcare workers to build a sustainable local medical team.

The four counties in western Nagqu currently have 53 dialysis patients. Their out-of-pocket medical expenses for dialysis will be fully covered this year. The region will also establish a referral and cooperation mechanism and progressively add more dialysis machines to guarantee patients access to necessary treatment.