WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1986
49
'231 KIDNEY MACHINES BY 1991'
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WITH THE COMPLETION OF VARIOUS HOSPITAL AND CLINIC PROJECTS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THE NUMBER OF KIDNEY MACHINES WOULD BE INCREASED TO 231 BY 1991, COMPARED WITH 95 KIDNEY MACHINES AT PRESENT IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON JOHN CHAMBERS, SAID TODAY.
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON CONRAD LAM, MR CHAMBERS SAID IT WAS INTENDED TO INTRODUCE A FULL GOVERNMENT-OPERATED CONTINUOUS AMBULATORY PERITONEAL DIALYSIS (CAPD) SCHEME FOR 150 PATIENTS IN 1986-87.
THE SCHEME, ESTIMATED TO COST $10 MILLION, WOULD BE EVALUATED AND THE ADVICE OF THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE WOULD BE SOUGHT ON WHETHER IT SHOULD BE EXTENDED, HE SAID.
CAPD TREATMENT WAS NOW PROVIDED IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS AS A NON-STANDARD SERVICE AND PATIENTS MET THE COST OF CERTAIN ITEMS USED IN THEIR TREATMENT, HE SAID.
MR CHAMBERS SAID THE SELECTION CRITERIA ON WHETHER PATIENTS SHOULD BE ADMITTED TO THE RENAL DIALYSIS PROGRAMME IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR HAD BEEN DEVISED TO ENSURE THAT TREATMENT WAS GIVEN TO THOSE MOST LIKELY TO BENEFIT FROM A MEDICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC POINT OF VIEW.
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THE CRITERIA HAD RECENTLY BEEN REVISED BY THE CENTRAL RENAL COMMITTEE WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1985 FOLLOWING ADVICE BY THE MEDICAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, IN ORDER TO CO-ORDINATE THE PROGRAMME FOR RENAL FAILURE TREATMENT IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, HE SAID.
+TO BE ADMITTED TO THE RENAL DIALYSIS PROGRAMME A PATIENT SHOULD PREFERABLY BE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 12 AND 55 AND SHOULD NOT BE SUFFERING FROM UNRELATED DISEASES WITH A POOR PROGNOSIS OR SEVERE PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESSES.
+HE SHOULD HAVE GOOD FAMILY SUPPORT, BE ABLE TO CO-OPERATE WITH RENAL CARE STAFF AND HAVE GOOD MOTIVATION.
+THE QUALITY OF THE PATIENT'S LIFE BEFORE THE ONSET OF END- STAGE RENAL FAILURE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD AND HE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENTLY INTELLIGENT TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF HIS ILLNESS AND THE INSTRUCTIONS RELATING TO HIS TREATMENT,+ HE SAID.
PRIORITY WAS GIVEN TO THOSE PATIENTS WHO HAD UNSUCCESSFULLY UNDERGONE A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT OPERATION OR WHO WERE NO LONGER ABLE TO REMAIN ON CAPD TREATMENT, HE ADDED.
/HE SAID
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