The kidney disease patients' association Renaloo is calling on the government to speed up kidney transplants, a measure that would have a positive effect on public finances since transplants make it possible to stop very costly dialysis.
Kidney transplantation (3,525 performed in 2023) "is by far the most efficient replacement treatment (for the kidney), for patients as well as for the health system," the association argued Thursday during a press conference.
Compared to dialysis, which today represents an annual cost of 3.6 billion euros for 57,000 patients, "it improves the quality and life expectancy" of patients, and "is much less expensive", she added.
According to his figures, France could achieve savings of 200 million euros over five years if it adopted Catalonia's practices regarding donations from deceased donors, Renaloo said.
Health insurance itself estimates that achieving 500 additional transplants per year and improving early detection of kidney disease could generate around 130 million euros in savings within five years, the association recalled.
Only 44% of French patients with terminal chronic renal failure are transplanted, compared to 56% in Spain, and 60% in northern Europe, according to Renaloo.
Patients who do not have a transplant are forced to resort to dialysis, a very expensive treatment (63,000 euros per patient for a year) and painful for the patients, but well paid for the hospitals and centers practicing it.
"It is the most profitable treatment for health establishments," with a risk of abuses and "bad practices" in certain cases, Renaloo president Yvanie Caille told the press.
"There are establishments that register patients for transplant very late, that perform dialysis on patients too early (when it is not yet necessary), or that perform emergency dialysis which is better paid," she said.
In March, the Nancy public prosecutor's office opened a preliminary investigation for "involuntary manslaughter and involuntary injuries", following a complaint against an unknown person by Renaloo denouncing bad practices in the dialysis center of the private Nancy-Lorraine hospital, belonging to the Elsan group.
Renaloo places great hopes in the reform of dialysis financing, planned by the 2024 Social Security budget, but which the Ministry of Health must now implement.
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