The Japanese Journal of Clinical Dialysis Vol.13 No.6(2-4)

Theme World Wide Current Trend of Dialysis Therapy
Title Dialysis situation in foreign countries -- People's Republic of China
Publish Date 1997/06
Author Masato Hosoda Research and Product Development Department, Pharmaceutical Division, Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
Author Akihiro Shimosaka Research and Product Development Department, Pharmaceutical Division, Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
[ Summary ] Hemodialysis was introduced in China in the 1980s. Hospitals with a hemodialysis unit started its cases for acute cases and then a center for chronic hemodialysis patients was opened in the late 1980s, with expansion of the economy. This report introduces the history, the present status and the future trends of hemodialysis in China. The bottle neck for the development of hemodialysis is medical economics, needed to support the facilities and the costs of dialysis. Introduction of Erythropoietin has contributed to the QOL of chronic renal failure patients although the cost of EPO treatment is not adequately covered by insurance.
China still needs some support from other countries to make hemodialysis available for every renal failure patient and is able to develop necessary technology, equipment and medical insurance system much shorter than any other countries.
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