World Kidney day 2024

suppadmin | March 12, 2024

World Kidney Day 2024 with theme “Kidney Health for all: Advancing Equitable Access to care” is held at Sarawak General Hospital.

Sarawak Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said 1 in 10 (800 million) is inflicted with Chronic Kidney Disease(CKD).

In Malaysia, he said, there was 9% in 2011 and it grew to 15.5% (4.7 million Malaysian) in 2018.

Sadly, Dr Sim added out of 15.5%, 4-5% are not even aware they have CKD which is still preventable to end stage. The CKD is preventable by managing the risk factors which included diabetes, high BP, obesity and aging.

He added that 50,000 Malaysians 4,500 Sarawakian had end stage renal kidney Disease ( ESRD). They will need dialysis haemodialysis at three times per week with each time around 4 hours and can live for another 10 to15 years with high standard of dialysis care. Without dialysis, the patient will died within short period of time within weeks to months.

According to him, there is an extremely alarming with huge increase of new patients (9,800 new patients in 2023) in Malaysia and in Sarawak (800 new patients in 2023, few years ago only 300 new patients per year).

He said 600 patients means 100 new machines (RM50,000 per machine) and the associated supporting facilities costing RM6-8 million excluding consumables for HD, salary, utilities (hence RM150-250 per HD per patients. RM450-750 per week per patient has to pay).

Dr Sim thanked Sarawak Health Service (agency under Ministry of Health Malaysia) under guidance of Chief Nephrologist, Dr Clare Tan who had expanded dialysis facilities to beyond 25 hospitals in Sarawak into Klinik Kesihatan KK Debah, Song, Batu Niah, Tatau and soon KK Spaoh, Beladin, Kabong, Serangau so patients can be closer to home.

“We are so fortunate to have so many private and charitable NGO dialysis centre in urban centres in Sarawak to compliments the Sarawak Health Service.

Since 2020, Sarawak Government had program Bantuan Khas Buah Pinggang to help poor patients to pay for their dialysis treatment cost, erythropoietin injection, creation of Arteriovenous Fistula (AVF) for Hemodialysis (HD) and also donating HD machines to government hospitals so that they can provide HD treatment to more patients, ” he added.