Access to dialysis and renal services continues to improve for the growing number of Islanders requiring the life-sustaining treatment with the opening of the new Hemodialysis Centre and Provincial Renal Clinic at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, announced Minister of Health and Wellness Doug Currie.
“This beautiful new centre is a testament to our government's commitment to providing Islanders with the best quality health care with up-to-date equipment and access to nearby acute care,” said Minister Currie. “Islanders from Tignish to Souris will benefit from this investment in our Ambulatory Care Centre, and the state-of-the-art hemodialysis centre will help ensure patients are given the best care possible.”
There has been a 75 per cent increase in the number of dialysis patients in the past three years, and that number is expected to continue to increase.
The new Hemodialysis Centre was built with future service expansion in mind. It has the capacity to care for up to 84 patients three times per week, more than twice the current capacity of the facility at Beach Grove Home which can accommodate 36 patients. The Centre will open next week with resources to treat 52 patients. The relocation of dialysis services and the Provincial Renal Clinic to the QEH supports current national trends of co-locating these services within a hospital setting to improve care for patients with increasingly complex medical needs, allowing for timely convenient access to diagnostic, internal medicine, post-operative and emergency services.
“Having both hemodialysis services and the provincial renal clinic located at the QEH will help us provide better access to the variety of support care our patients need as part of their dialysis treatment,” said Dr. Bruce Jones, Nephrologist with the Dialysis Program and Provincial Renal Clinic. “In addition to being an attractive, light-filled space, the Centre’s increased capacity will allow for scheduling of more convenient and consistent patient appointments. Additional dialysis treatment bays will also mean that Charlottetown-area patients who are currently receiving dialysis services in Summerside will be able to receive their treatment in Charlottetown.”
Like the new Dialysis Unit which recently opened at Prince County Hospital, the increased square footage of the new hemodialysis centre at the QEH will conform to current standards while incorporating additional space for support service delivery such as a training room and bio-medical room. New technology such as a Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment System has been introduced and will improve the quality of the water used in the filtration of waste from the blood, resulting in improved patient outcomes for those receiving hemodialysis, a specialized form of dialysis treatment.
With rising rates of diabetes and heart disease, which both contribute to kidney failure, the demand for dialysis services in Prince Edward Island is also expected to increase. Currently, there are 82 individuals receiving dialysis treatment across Prince Edward Island, of which 44 are from the Charlottetown area.
Backgrounder:
Dialysis is a treatment required by individuals whose kidneys can no longer function as a result of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).
Using a machine that functions as an artificial kidney, blood flows from the patient through a special filter that removes waste and extra fluids. The clean blood is then returned to the body.
The removal of harmful wastes, toxins, extra salts and fluids helps to control a patient’s blood pressure and maintain the proper balance of chemicals like potassium and sodium in the body.
A patient will receive treatment at least three times per week, for four to six hours at a time, by specially trained staff. Once started, treatment is usually required for as long as the patient lives or until the receipt of a successful kidney transplant.