Haemodialysis Services at SJMC

Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC) is a major provider of nephrology services and has well-respected consultant nephrologists who are key opinion leaders in their field. With its 18-bay Haemodialysis Unit manned by a dedicated team of staff nurses, the majority of whom have obtained post-basic certificate in renal nursing, SJMC offers comprehensive kidney health services.

Around 104 haemodialysis patients dialyze 3 times per week at the SJMC Haemodialysis Unit which runs three shifts per day with 18 bays, equivalent to about 97% utilization. The unit offers haemodialysis and haemodiafiltration for end-stage renal failure. The hospital provides treatment for outpatients and inpatients with acute and chronic renal failure in addition to emergency service treatment with trained staff providing on-call service after operational hours. Treatment is also available in the critical care units. Overall bloodstream infection rate, a clinical measure used for quality assessment, for the haemodialysis unit is zero. High-flux membranes and single-use dialysers are used for all dialysis treatment.

The use of high−flux membranes will improve the adequacy of dialysis. As high-flux membranes are able to remove middle size and large size molecules such as ß₂ microglobulin, using them thus allows improved removal of a wider spectrum of uremic toxins which will improve the quality of life of patients on chronic haemodialysis treatment.

Single-use dialyser is preferable to reuse of dialysers as the long-term and cumulative effects of exposure to reuse reagents are unknown.

All patients are screened for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV as a precautionary measure prior to starting treatment. Patients are also regularly assessed, and their progress reviewed by the nephrologists.

Compared with standard haemodialysis, haemodiafiltration (HDF) removes more middle-molecular-weight solutes. Some studies have suggested that HDF is associated with improved clinical outcomes, providing adequate convection volumes are achieved.

The hospital’s new haemodialysis centre, spanning nearly 16,000 square feet, is expected to commence operations in mid-2022. With 39 treatment bays, 3 isolation rooms for infectious cases, 2 single rooms with attached bathroom, 2 PHCFSA-compliant treatment rooms, a counselling room and a waiting lounge for carers, it is set to become one of the largest and most sophisticated and modern facilities providing better comfort and a conducive setting for kidney health services in the region.