Chronic Kidney Disease Now A Major Silent Killer In Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 (Bernama) -- Chronic kidney disease has become a major silent killer affecting a large number of Malaysians but awareness of its cause remains low.
Parliamentary Secretary in the Health Ministry Datuk Lee Kah Choon said the growing problem was the result of people not practising a healthy lifestyle.
He said that based on the Department of Nefrology's statistics, there were some 13,500 kidney patients nationwide and the number was increasing by 2,500 new patients each year.
"People are aware of the dialysis process and kidney transplants but the overall level of awareness on prevention of kidney problems was not encouraging.
"This is a great challenge for us," he told a news conference after launching the inaugural national level World Kidney Day at Kuala Lumpur Hospital Thursday.
He said education of the public needed to be stepped up to increase awareness on chronic kidney disease.
Lee said continuous efforts to educate the public on the disease would help reduce the number of patients.
"Chronic kidney disease is a serious disease. It not only affects the patients but also their families in terms of mental, emotional and financial worries," he said.
He said the government was doing its best to provide services to kidney patients such as setting up a dialysis centre in all hospitals.
Last year the government spent RM20 million to subsidise government and charitable dialysis centres.