Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton is encouraging Jamaicans to make healthy lifestyles a priority in order to combat renal failure, which remains a major health burden on families and the country.

He was speaking during a visit to the dialysis unit at the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine on Wednesday, February 8 to examine 10 new dialysis machines and furniture that were provided to the facility under a $30-million investment.

While noting that the unit is accommodating additional patients, Dr Tufton said approximately 300 persons are on the waiting list, adding that the “demand changes every day, and gets worse”.

“Renal failure is a big part of our lifestyle in Jamaica. What we are seeing is that cardiovascular diseases and strokes are becoming more dominant in our population,” Dr Tufton pointed out.

He emphasised that the issue is seriously affecting hospitals and is a major “debilitating factor” for citizens, in terms of their wellness and the cost to the country.

Dr Tufton said consequent on weekly treatment for kidney patients in private healthcare facilities costing up to $45,000, it is imperative that persons give serious consideration to altering their lifestyles.

“The illness is extremely costly, and there is a limit to which we can go in terms of how many people can get dialysis,” the Minister pointed out.

Dr Tufton said with the expansion of the Spanish Town Hospital, additional space can be made to enable the institution to accommodate as many as 30 machines, up from the complement of 18.

Consultant Nephrologist at the hospital, Dr Roger Smith, underscored the importance of undertaking interventions for the early detection of kidney disease, coupled with annual screening.

This, he noted, is particularly crucial for persons with hypertension and diabetes, adding that individuals with these illnesses must undergo regular medical checks.

“You have to know your numbers. Many times, people have never had a kidney test in their entire life, and the first time they found out about kidney disease is when they are admitted to the hospital for some other factor, and by then it is too late,” Dr Smith said.

He advised that among the measures to control the illness are exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy diet, avoiding processed foods, and living a generally healthy lifestyle.