MOH launches 33 community dialysis units nationwide to improve rural access and reduce patient costs, with a new national kidney action plan forthcoming.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Health has established 33 Community Dialysis Units nationwide to improve treatment access and reduce patient burdens.

Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said 28 units are already operational at rural health clinics, with five more to be launched soon.

He explained the initiative aims to ease access and cut travel costs for patients, particularly in rural areas.

Dr Dzulkefly was responding to a parliamentary question on proactive measures to curb rising dialysis treatment costs.

He noted that over 120 non-governmental organisations are also operating dialysis centres across the country.

These NGO centres help ease the burden on patients, including those in remote areas of Sabah and Sarawak.

The minister also highlighted a policy shift promoting Peritoneal Dialysis, including Continuous Ambulatory and Automated variants.

He announced the forthcoming launch of the National Action Plan for Healthy Kidney 2026-2030.

This plan aims to strengthen prevention and comprehensive treatment of chronic kidney disease.

On a related note, Dr Dzulkefly addressed the severe impact of non-communicable diseases in Malaysia.

He stated NCDs remain the leading cause of death, accounting for 73% of annual fatalities.

This equates to about 140,000 deaths annually from diseases like diabetes and hypertension.

“The figure far exceeds COVID-19 deaths, which totalled 37,000 over two years,” he said.

He described NCDs as a “silent pandemic” that lasts a lifetime and leads to serious complications like kidney failure.

 The Sun Malaysia