This article is from page 12 of the 2007-07-31 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
THE HSE has this week announced that a 15-station satellite dialysis unit for the Midwest will be up and run- ning within the next six months.
The unit is a response to what the Irish Kidney Association has de- scribed as a crisis in the dialysis Service.
The Haemodialysis Unit at the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick has been unable to take any new pa- tients for the last number of months due to overcrowding.
Renal patients were instead sent to Tullamore, Tralee and Galway.
This week the HSE said that it had been working to provide the addi- tional capacity needed to enable pa- tients receive their dialysis as near as possible to their homes.
As part of that work a short term, 15-station satellite dialysis unit has been commissioned for Limerick.
A tender competition was held for the provision of the unit and the suc- cessful company has been notified within the last week.
The new facility is expected to
be operational within the next six months, according to the HSE.
Patients treated in the satellite unit will remain under the care of the referring consultant and multidisci- plinary team from the regional hos- pital.
SU ilem eR Sa seme slepeeComKen one Busnr-)| patients to Galway in the interim.
‘As a further measure and because of the urgent needs of this area in the Short term, the HSE has entered into a further contract with a dialysis pro- vider in Galway which will be able to accept mid-west patients imme-
diately and will help to avoid more protracted travel times for mid-west patients to Dublin and elsewhere,” a HSE spokespersons said.
“While we regret the inconven- lence that this travel imposes on some patients in the short term, we are confident that it will provide sig- nificant relief for the particular pa- tients affected while we are working on achieving self-sufficiency for the region over the next six months.”
‘Because of the urgent need for ad- ditional capacity the HSE has also funded a home dialysis programme
for medically suitable patients in the Limerick area as an alternative to hospital dialysis.”
As part of its long term plan the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick is currently developing a capital plan for an extension, which will expand the existing dialysis unit in Doora- doyle to 25 stations.
Each year in Ireland about 170 peo- ple reach the “end-stage” of renal failure and need treatment to replace their non-functioning kidneys. Ap- proximately 30 Clare people require dialysis three times a week.