Disaster Survival: 5 Things Dialysis Patients Must Do To Prepare.

LEXINGTON, Mass. -- As the 2006 peak hurricane season approaches, Fresenius Medical Care North America, operators of the nation's largest network of dialysis clinics, is urging kidney failure patients to plan ahead for disasters.

Kidney failure patients represent one of the most vulnerable segments of the population during a hurricane or other natural disaster. These patients typically need dialysis every two days; any substantial delay in dialysis care can be life threatening.

Disaster Preparedness: 5 Tips for Dialysis Patients

    1. Keep your emergency phone numbers handy

        --  Patient Disaster Hotline: [phone]. The 24-hour
            hotline, staffed by Fresenius Medical Care dialysis
            service specialists, will answer questions and direct all
            dialysis patients and their families to the nearest open
            clinic during an emergency.

    2. Carry your up-to-date personal information with you at all
       times (ID, medication and allergy lists, insurance, emergency
       contact information, type of dialysis treatment).

    3. Talk to your doctor and family about your evacuation plan (what
       you should do and where you should go in the event of a
       disaster happening in your local area).

    4. Create a disaster kit with emergency supplies and at least an
       extra 3-day supply of medicines. Many patients find it
       convenient to keep medicines and medical supplies in an
       easy-to-carry fanny or backpack.

    5. Store a 3-day supply of food based on your emergency meal plan.
       Begin this special diet plan as soon as a disaster is
       predicted or occurs and remain on it until dialysis treatment
       is received. Limit fluid intake to 2 cups per 24 hours and
       avoid fresh fruit or vegetables.

"As we all are too well aware, emergencies can happen in the blink of an eye. Kidney failure patients simply cannot afford to be caught off guard," said Bill Numbers, Vice President of Operations for Fresenius Medical Care and director of the company's Disaster Planning and Response Plan. "Our only defense is vigilant preparedness. For patients, that means knowing how to be self-sufficient for three days - including having enough food, water and medicine - and knowing how to find dialysis care in the event of a disaster."

About Fresenius Medical Care North America

Fresenius Medical Care North America is a subsidiary of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA, the world's largest, integrated provider of products and services for individuals undergoing dialysis because of chronic kidney failure, a condition that affects more than 1,400,000 individuals worldwide. Through its network of approximately 2,045 dialysis clinics in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Africa, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatment to approximately 158,700 patients around the globe. Fresenius Medical Care is also the world's leading provider of dialysis products such as hemodialysis machines, dialyzers and related disposable products. Fresenius Medical Care is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FME, FME3) and the New York Stock Exchange (FMS, FMS-p).

For more information about Fresenius Medical Care's U.S. network of more than 1,500 dialysis facilities, visit the Company's website at www.ultracare-dialysis.com. For more information about Fresenius Medical Care, visit the Company's websites: www.fmcna.com or www.fmc-ag.com.