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27/07/2009
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 Media
Release 27
July 2009
Tough Economic
Times for Dialysis Patients and
Families
Kidney Health Australia today said
thousands of Australians suffering kidney failure on
dialysis were doing it tough in the economic downturn as
they struggled to cope with three visits a week to
dialysis centres to stay alive.
The plight of kidney patients comes as
the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd outlines his reforms
to Australia's Health system today.
Anne Wilson CEO of Kidney Health
Australia said the warning by the Prime Minster Kevin
Rudd the economic downturn is going to get worse will
have an increasing impact on kidney patients suffering
end stage renal disease who have no option but to spend
money associated with dialysis treatment.
At the end of 2007, 9,642
people in Australia were receiving dialysis
treatment.
Dr Tim Mathew Medical Director of
Kidney Health Australia said Dialysis for Chronic Kidney
Disease (CKD) is the most frequent reason for
hospitalisation. In 2007-08, regular dialysis for CKD
was recorded as the principal diagnosis in 989,000
(almost 1 million) separations 12.6% of all
hospitalisation in that year.
"At Kidney Health Australia we are
increasingly getting calls for help from desperate
families such as the 81 year old woman forced to get up
at 4.00am to get her 82 year old husband ready for
transport to his dialysis unit at 6.00am because of
hospital schedules.
"Another call came from a
young mother of two wanting to donate a kidney to her
husband but who could not afford to stop work because
she is the breadwinner and who was unable to get
financial support from any government
agency."
Ms Wilson said transport for
patients to dialysis is a growing problem as many
patients are elderly and for those in country and
regional areas the tyranny of distance combined with the
fragmented state based management of reimbursement
schemes makes it even harder for dialysis patients to
cope, not only with the disease but the red tape.
"In States where ambulances are used to
transport dialysis patients the service is placed under
pressure where operators have to choose between dealing
with a life threatening emergency or transporting a
dialysis patient. This can leave elderly patients and
their families waiting for hours to get home on a
regular basis after dialysis as the life threatening
emergency obviously must receive a
priority.
"Two years ago in a
submission to a Senate Enquiry after a survey Kidney
Health Australia reported some elderly patients
on pensions cut back on food so they could afford their
transport to dialysis treatment," Ms Wilson
said.
Media Enquiries:
Anne Wilson,
CEO Kidney Health Australia Mobile: 0400 165 391
Dr
Tim Mathew, Medical Director, Kidney Health
Australia Mobile: 0416 149 863
Ron
Smith National Media Communications Kidney Health
AustraliaMobile: 0417 329
201
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