Good news for renal patients

"The ministry is working toward establishing a system whereby renal patients can receive peritoneal dialysis. An alternative to conventional dialysis methods," Rahael announced while addressing the monthly meeting of the Renal Support Group (RSG) at Amphitheatre A, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope.

He said the ministry was in negotiations with stakeholders to adopt the most viable route of providing PD to people. PD was a process in which the patient’s abdomen was filled with a cleansing liquid or dialysis solution using a catheter.

Rahael said, "the solution contains dextrose which pulls waste and extra fluids into the abdomen. The waste leaves the body when the dialysis solution is drained."

He said PD was favoured because it offered patients more freedom. They could dialyse at home or work and did not have to schedule appointments.

He said his ministry had been assisting people with the cost of dialysis through its Medical Aid Fund. He acknowledged the high cost of treatment and medication (between $8,000-$10,000 a month), and said his ministry’s Social Services Unit was identifying patients who could not afford this with the aim of paying their full medical costs.

This news was greeted with applause by the audience. The ministry also planned to enlist private facilities to provide service. It is using information provided in a survey done by the RSG on "spare capacity of machines in the private sector and NGOs."

Rahael said the RSG had provided a list of drugs it wanted included in the Chronic Disease Assistance Programme. He said the ministry was "working on it."

Commenting on the organ transplant programme, Rahael said Dr Leslie Roberts has been appointed to head the unit spearheading kidney transplants and by the end of September the programme should be operational at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex.

Rahael said a transplant resulted in the highest quality of life for people with less than ten percent kidney function.

He said a national campaign would be implemented to promote organ donation in TT. "In order to create and maintain a registry of persons willing to donate their organs, we have the task of working to create a donor culture," he said.