Free jabs for poor kidney patients from April 1

Published: Thursday March 12, 2009 MYT 3:23:00 PM

Free jabs for poor kidney patients from April 1

SERDANG: All poor kidney patients needing dialysis treatment will be given free epoeitin injections starting April 1.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the government aid was in addition to the RM50 subsidy enjoyed by kidney patients presently.

The free injections, to be given three times weekly would save the patients RM30-RM60 per injection.

"The injections are needed to prevent anaemia as epoeitin helps to increase the haemoglobin level. Without them, patients will suffer and endure low quality of life," he said after launching World Kidney Day 2009 at Serdang Hospital here on Thursday.

Liow said the free injections would cost the government RM12.64mil annually.

Some 2,700 poor kidney patients are registered and undergoing dialysis treatment at 454 dialysis centres nationwide.

He said eight more dialysis centres would be set up at district hospitals in Pahang, Terengganu, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Sabah to cope with the rising number of patients annually.

The new dialysis centres are at Cameron Highlands (Pahang), Setiu (Terengganu), Jasin (Melaka), Jempol (Negeri Sembilan), Tuaran, Kunak, Kuala Penyu and Pitas (Sabah).

Liow said kidney patients needing dialysis treatment stood at 16,719 as of Dec 31, 2007 compared to only 4,540 in 1998. - Bernama

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/3/12/nation/20090312152350&sec=nation