TEBRAU, Sept 1 – The Columbia Asia Group of Hospitals recently opened its second dialysis unit at Columbia Asia Hospital Tebrau (CAH-Tebrau) in Johor Bahru. The centre will fulfil the dialysis needs of the increasing number of renal failure patients in the state.
Shortage Of Dialysis Services
The Malaysian Dialysis and Transplant Registry has reported that there were 8,431 dialysis patients at the start of 2018. Within a year, that number has increased to 44,136 patients.
“In short, there are 8,000 new kidney patients in Malaysia who need dialysis every year,” said CAH-Tebrau Regional General Manager Rahani Yaacob at the launch.
According to a 2018 study by the National Renal Registry of Malaysia, Johor has the second highest number of patients requiring dialysis per million population.
“We at Columbia Asia Hospital Tebrau are doing our part to cope with this dire situation in Johor,” said Rahani.
“Even before we launched our dialysis centre, we had received many enquiries asking if we have dialysis services, especially from establishments in and around the Tebrau area. With the opening of this dialysis centre, we hope to make dialysis accessible and convenient for the kidney patients, closer to their homes.”
Johor On The Way To Advanced Health Care
Guest of honour Johor State Health and Unity Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said that Johor can become an advanced state by 2030, not only in terms of the economy and quality of life, but also in its medical services. He said that the health care system in Johor will surpass other states in the future.
“Awareness is more important than treatment,” said Ling. He also reminded the guests about the importance of preventing hypertension, diabetes, and obesity, as these too can lead to kidney complications.
Columbia Asia Group CEO Dr Chan Boon Kheng emphasised the importance of health screenings and kidney health awareness. “We need to continue to work with our partners to take the message of prevention and early detection home,” said Dr Chan. “On our own, Columbia Asia can only provide dialysis chairs, but together we can do more for patients and their families.”
About The New Dialysis Unit
Heading the CAH-Tebrau nephrology unit is internal medicine consultant nephrologist Dr Tee Shin Kuan. According to Dr Tee, dialysis services at CAH-Tebrau entails an in-house nephrologist who will provide clinical management of hemodialysis. Experienced renal nurses are also on hand for each patient during their hemodialysis session.
Another factor that sets this centre apart is the host of support services that will add more value to dialysis sessions. A dietician is on site to provide consultation to the dialysis patients, supervising their food intake. This is to ensure patients are getting the right kind of nutrition to support their health condition.
The dialysis centre at CAH-Tebrau has 11 hemodialysis stations that are open six days a week.
On top of that, CAH-Tebrau’s dialysis machines also have an in-built Therapy Data Management System, an integrated system that enables documenting and monitoring of patients’ information. It shows dialysis treatments and medication data immediately, along with laboratory and other data related to pre-dialysis/dialysis procedures.
