Early intervention key to fighting kidney failure – Health Minister

…as efforts stepped up to curb kidney disease

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has called for intensified efforts to delay the onset of kidney failure among patients, stressing the importance of early intervention and improved management of chronic diseases.
As of December 2025, it was recorded that some 650 persons are enrolled in the Government’s dialysis beneficiary programme.

Dialysis is a life-saving medical treatment for kidney failure that removes waste and excess fluid from the blood, primarily through haemodialysis.
The Government provides an annual subvention of $600,000 per patient to help cover treatment costs, with services available at public, private, and specialised centres.

Curb effects of kidney failure
But amid these extensive undertakings, the Health Minister, speaking at a conference in observance of World Kidney Day on Tuesday, has charged health officials to intensify efforts to curb the effects of kidney failure across the country.
“I think a lot more work needs to be done in areas where we can delay the onset of chronic kidney failure for some patients. That means we have to work more intensively with the patients we have so they do not progress so quickly to kidney failure,” he stated, expressing his vision for Guyana to be a leading transplant centre in the Caribbean.
The Health Minister has also directed officials to ensure that kidney disease services – not just specialised treatments—are made available beyond Georgetown and rolled out to regional hospitals.
“I’ve asked them to start focusing on kidney diseases, making sure these services are offered not just in Georgetown, but also in other regional hospitals. We have already started that. I know some consultants have been going out to West Demerara, some to Diamond, and more. But we want this to be across the board, where every week at least they’ll be in one of these institutions to provide specialised kidney services,” he said.
He added that this approach would help address issues of equity.
“A lot has been achieved, but we have to push ourselves further. This year, I expect we’ll have more conversations about how to develop and strengthen this service.”
Meanwhile, the Minister urged the public to make use of the screening vouchers currently being distributed nationwide to help detect kidney disease early.
Enhancing drug planning models
On that note, paediatric nephrologist Dr Areefa Alladin disclosed several initiatives aimed at curbing the impact of kidney disease, including enhancing drug planning models and improving dialysis care through established standards and protocols.
“We’re planning to implement drug monitoring levels for kidney disease and transplant patients. We aim to build capacity for this within the next few years. Our hospital also has plans to advance haemodialysis by improving dialysis care, building a new centre, and establishing standards and protocols. We plan to create a formal curriculum to train our nurses, who can then become trainers for the rest of the region.”
“Additionally, we aim to improve rural dialysis, decentralising services according to the Government of Guyana’s plan, and bring dialysis closer to patients rather than centralising it in Georgetown,” Dr Alladin explained.
She also highlighted the importance of building a multidisciplinary nephrology team, noting that effective kidney care extends beyond doctors and nephrologists to include pharmacists, dietitians, social workers, psychologists, and nurses, as most patient interactions occur within a comprehensive care team.
Dr Alladin added that training programmes are underway to strengthen capacity and provide services to patients across multiple levels of care.
She further noted that the Ministry is considering establishing residency programmes through the Institute of Health Science Education, in collaboration with the University of Guyana, the University of Calgary, and other international partners.
“There is strong commitment from the Government of Guyana, the University of Guyana, and the Georgetown Public Hospital to advance specialist care, positioning Georgetown Hospital as a regional leader in nephrology within the Caribbean,” she said.