Kidney failure cases on the rise in Malaysia - Hilmi

Kidney failure cases due to diabetes in the country is on the rise and if the current unhealthy trend is not curbed, the country will be among the top in the world with the highest number of cases by 2030, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya.

Dr Hilmi said almost 40,000 kidney patients nationwide had been reported since last year and the number continued to rise due to the unhealthy lifestyle of Malaysians.

He said human kidneys could be damaged by many factors and among the major causes of kidney diseases today were preventable such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus.

"We will become among the top country in the world with the highest number of kidney failure cases in 2030 if the current trend is not stopped," he told reporters after visiting the Province Wellesley Renal Medifund Dialysis centre in conjunction with the advanced celebration of the World Kidney Day 2017 here Sunday.

He said the situation was more alarming because the cases were becoming more common with the passing time.

Dr Hilmi said one-quarter of the 40,000 kidney failure patients were treated in the government hospitals while the remaining were with private hospitals and dialysis centres.

He said the latest National Health and Morbidity Survey 2015 showed that in adults aged 18 years and above, 30 per cent were found to be overweight while 18 per cent were reported to be obese.

"The prevalence of high blood cholesterol levels or hypercholesterolemia was 48 per cent, high blood pressure or hypertension prevalance was at 30 per cent and diabetes prevalence was at 17.5 per cent," he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Hilmi, who is also the Member of Parliament for Balik Pulau, said from this year onwards, the government would opt to purchase more generic medicine to reduce cost.

He said last year, the federal government spent RM2.2 billion to purchase medicines for government hospitals. -- Bernama