NKF ropes in GPs in efforts to stem rising kidney failure cases

Screening programme at clinics part of its ramped-up preventive health strategy

- Joyce Teo

More than 2,000 high-risk individuals have been screened for chronic kidney disease (CKD) at a GP clinic under a screening programme that started in March this year, and nearly 17 per cent of them were found to have abnormal kidney function and require further evaluation.

The National Kidney Foundation (NKF), which is behind the programme, has reached out to 175 general practitioners to offer high-risk patients a kidney disease marker, which consists of a blood test, and a urine test to detect albumin. It is covering the cost of these tests, which is at least $25.

The blood test measures the level of creatinine in the blood, which can build up if there is a problem with the kidneys, while the urine test detects albumin - a protein found in the blood - which could help signal kidney disease.

NKF, which has 5,700 dialysis patients or about 60 per cent of the total dialysis population in Singapore, aims to get more GPs onboard to help with early detection of CKD, even as it plans for more dialysis centres to meet rising demand, said its chairman Arthur Lang, 52.

In an exclusive interview with The Straits Times, Mr Lang said they are ramping up their preventative health strategy to stem the "kidney tsunami" here, with almost 900,000 people projected to have chronic kidney disease by 2035.