Sheena Gayle, Freelance Writer

President and CEO of Scotiabank Jamaica, William Clarke (left), commends nurse Leset Stephenson (second left) and head of the Renal Unit at Cornwall Regional Hospital, Dr Curtis Yeates, during his visit to the hospital on Friday. Also inthe photo is executive director for Scotiabank Jamaica Foundation, JoyleneGriffiths-Irving. - Photo by Sheena Gayle

WESTERN BUREAU:

DESPITE THE abolition of hospital user fees in Jamaica, 454 patients suffering from end-stage renal disease (ESRD) will have to pay a combined $317.8 million per year for dialysis care.

Head of the Renal Unit at the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), Dr Curtis Yeates, said the average cost for kidney dialysis per patient is $700,000 annually. However, the treatment can cost as much as $1.1 million per annum.

During the official opening of the Haemodialysis Unit by the Scotia Foundation at CRH on Friday, Dr Yeates noted that approximately 900 new persons are diagnosed each year with ESRD.

"There aren't enough haemo-dialysis units in the island. It is clear that we are not meeting, and are unlikely to meet, the demand for treatment of kidney failure."

Prevention the best answer

In order to mitigate the possibility of suffering from ESRD, Yeates recommended prevention as the best solution to this costly illness, which is mostly caused by hypertension and diabetes.

CRH, which boasts the largest haemodialysis centre in the English-speaking Caribbean, with 16 dialysis units, will serve up to 124 patients each week, with the help of more than $24 million in donation since the inception of the Scotia Foundation in 1998.

Meanwhile, William Clarke, president and CEO of Scotiabank Jamaica, stressed that kidney disease must be a national priority as it affected the country's productivity.

"Part of the problem we face locally is the fact that not many Jamaicans are informed about the disease. Unlike other major illnesses, renal failure is not highlighted as a national problem. We need to give more exposure to the disease and causes and preventative measures," said Clarke.

sheena.gayle@gleanerjm.com