Parliament: Not enough dialysis centres

I do hope that there will be a better way to deal with these shortages. Whenever I read anything relating to kidney end-stage failure I become sad. Not everybody can afford such treatment and the Health Ministry can't be everywhere at once.

I wonder how my friend is doing?

Parliament: Not enough dialysis centres

By LEE YUK PENG

KUALA LUMPUR: The 132 dialysis centres under the Health Ministry are insufficient for 17,367 kidney patients diagnosed with end-stage failure who need to go for dialysis treatment, said deputy minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad.

Replying to Liang Teck Meng (BN - Simpang Renggam) in Parliament, Dr Abdul Latiff said the 132 dialysis centres comprising 1,836 machines can only provide dialysis treatment to 5,000 patients.

Dr Abdul Latiff said the Government works with non-governmental organisations like the Lions Club, Rotary Club and others, as well as the private sector which has a total of 186 centres with 1,787 machines to provide dialysis treatment to 6,000 patients.

He said the ratio of dialysis machines to renal failure patients is currently one to five.

“Government hospitals also have portable dialysis machines for those who can’t be at the dialysis units,” he said.