SINGAPORE — Home-based peritoneal dialysis (PD) offers many of Singapore's kidney-failure patients a better quality of life than in-centre haemodialysis — yet take-up remains stubbornly low, The Straits Times reports. PD can be performed at home, mimics the body's natural rhythm with continuous waste removal, and is gentler on the body, helping patients retain residual kidney function for longer.
Why patients hesitate
Despite those advantages, roughly three in four new patients still opt for haemodialysis at a centre. Clinicians cite fear of self-administering treatment and lingering misunderstandings about the procedure, even after hospital education. PD currently accounts for only about 24–25% of new patients, short of the Health Ministry's target of 30% by end-2025.
The case for home care
- Associate Professor Marjorie Foo of Singapore General Hospital notes PD frees patients from repeated needle insertion and frequent centre visits.
- By comparison, 70–80% of new dialysis patients in Hong Kong are on PD.
- Wider PD adoption would also ease pressure on in-centre haemodialysis capacity.
The story underscores a regional shift toward decentralised, home-based renal care. For the renal-care supply chain, it points to growing demand for home-friendly therapy equipment and the patient education that helps people choose it with confidence.
