PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry is pushing a new policy focused on opening up more haemodialysis centres nationwide, as the country faces a rising number of patients with chronic renal disease.
Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the number of patients suffering from End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) has more than tripled in the past decade, with a total of 26,159 patients undergoing treatment in 2011 compared with just 7,837 patients in 2001.
"This is a new policy, where we want to set up haemodialysis centres in health clinics that have the space to spare.
"However, we don't have enough money so the ministry will apply for extra funds from the Finance Ministry," he said at a press conference here Tuesday after receiving haemodialysis machines donated by Lembaga Tabung Haji.
Liow said as at 2011, the country had a total of 7,088 haemodialysis machines set up at public and private centres and those run by non-governmental organisations.
However, he declined to give specific figures on how many more machines were needed to best serve patients nationwide, pointing out that it would depend on how much funding was received from the Government.
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