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Kidney crisis hits rural areas

By Bryan Littley

28 March 2005 - AN outbreak of kidney disease in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands in South Australia is tearing people out of their communities and forcing them to live hundreds of kilometres away so they can be treated.

More than 100 people from the Lands are being tested for renal diseases each week in Alice Springs, Port Augusta and Adelaide.

At least 13 families have relocated to makeshift camps near Alice Springs and Port Augusta so family members can receive blood transfusions and other treatment.

Aboriginal rights campaigner Les Nayda said renal units were needed in Pipalyatjara, Ernabella and Mimili to serve the growing numbers of Anangu people suffering from renal disease. He said water quality, which had been attributed to causing the kidney problems, should be assessed.

"This is past being wanted. It is needed desperately," Mr Nayda said. "The epidemic of renal disease surpasses the petrol sniffing problems."

Mr Nayda said some people had left APY communities more than three years ago for treatment. Most were living in camps near Alice Springs where they were treated at the health centre. "They know once you get to Alice Springs, you are not likely to return," he said. "They are another tribe. They don't have the rights they have in their communities."

A Health Department spokesperson said the latest available figures, from September 2003, showed 53 Aboriginal people were dialysing or had a transplant in South Australia. "There are a number of barriers to dialysis in remote areas. These include aspects such as the need for a reliable, safe water supply," the spokesperson said.

A national working party is considering strategies to reduce the barriers and increase the number of Aboriginal clients having renal dialysis closer to their homes and to be able to have a renal transplant.

David Heath, spokesman for State Minister of Aboriginal Affairs Terry Roberts, said: "The Government has committed $25 million over the next four years to fund a range of programs and initiatives that will help to improve the lives of all Anangu people."

Souce: The Advertiser

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