The Health Ministry has launched an outreach community service aimed to treat people with chronic kidney diseases. It is estimated that up to ten percent of the population suffer from such chronic diseases, especially people above the age of 65 suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure.

This service will be provided through a specialised clinic at the Qormi health centre. The aim is not to provide a screening service, but to monitor and provide free advice to patients referred from Mater Dei Hospital.

Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia launched this new service, known as a nephrology clinic during a visit at the Qormi health centre. He said that the aim is to prevent further complications which may result in cardiovascular complications or patients having to depend on kidney dialysis machines on a regular basis.

Dr Farrugia said that this service marks the first government initiative to reduce the load on Mater Dei hospital through a better primary healthcare service. He said that other services in the pipeline are specialised gerontology clinics in the community and free advice from midwives in health centres. The health minister said that general practitioners and doctors in private clinics will soon be able to refer patients needing to have an X-ray directly to Mater Dei, rather than having to wait for the green light from the doctor at the health centre.