Gov't has no plans for now to raise dialysis subsidy

Malaysia chronicle: http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=42159:is-this-people-first?-govt-has-no-plans-for-now-to-raise-dialysis-subsidy&Itemid=2

KUALA LUMPUR -- The government has no plans for now to increase the subsidy for dialysis treatment as the number of government-dependent patients continues to increase each year, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin.

She said the ministry provided haemodialysis treatment subsidy to poor and less fortunate patients from 2001, which enabled them to undergo treatment at non-governmental organisation (NGO) dialysis centres at RM50 per session.

"A total of 29,937 patients have received the subsidy, worth RM208.70 million, so far," she said in reply to a question from Dr P. Ramasamy (DAP-Batu Kawan) in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Ramasamy had asked if the Health Ministry would increase the existing subsidy of RM50 for haemodialysis treatment to lessen the financial burden of kidney patients.

Rosnah said the ministry also provided a subsidy for erythropoietin injection from April 1, 2009, worth RM30 per shot, involving an allocation of RM31.30 million from 2009 until July this year.

-Bernama