In addition to the 118 patients who are in a kidney course with the Health Service, there are citizens who live with impaired kidney function without being treated.
- The total number of citizens with impaired kidney function is estimated to be between 160 and 170, informs Anna Wangenheim in a paragraph 37 response to Mette Arqe-Hammeken from Naleraq.
Challenges patients
The serious illness that may require a transplant challenges those affected.
Anna Wangenheim states that the Health Service will not be able to offer kidney transplants, as it requires specialists that the Health Service does not have. And given the small population size, the likelihood of a kidney match is very limited.
- In addition, kidney transplants require that recipients be ready for surgery with a few hours notice when a donor kidney becomes available, she states.
Patients who need a kidney transplant, must be operated on in Denmark, if they otherwise meet the medical criteria.
Must reside in Denmark
- However, it is a necessary condition that the patient resides in Denmark, as the actual transplant can be carried out within a very short period of time after a suitable donor kidney becomes available, explains naalakkersuisoq.
And the discouraging thing for these patients is that the wait for a transplant can drag on for years. So in addition to being sick, you also have to be resident in Denmark.
Anna Wangenheim states in her response that a kidney transplant costs between 267,932 and 392,264 kroner depending on the individual course, where complications may arise.
- In addition to this, there are costs for travel, accommodation and lifelong medication, which vary considerably, she states.
