Lindsay, April 26, 2007

Almost one year ago, Ross Memorial Hospital received approval from the Ministry of Health & Long Term Care to plan for the operation of a 15-station Satellite Dialysis Unit as part of the Regional Renal (dialysis) Program.  

Planning for the opening of the permanent 15-station satellite unit is on track. Over the past year, the Hospital administration and program team have worked diligently to complete the program and construction plans for the new unit and submitted the request to tender the construction project to the Ministry of Health in January 2007.  We are now awaiting Ministry approval to issue a tender for construction.    

Ross Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce that we will now offer dialysis services in a 6-station temporary unit.  The operation of this interim unit is an attempt to address the urgent need for dialysis in our community during the planning and construction time periods. 

The temporary unit will initially provide treatment for 12 patients and plans to expand to meet the needs of 24 dialysis patients.  The operation of this interim unit will also allow Ross Memorial Hospital to prepare for the eventual operation of the expanded 15-station permanent unit. 

Ross Memorial Hospital ’s dialysis program is a satellite location of a Regional Renal Program.  Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) serves as the ‘hub’ of the regional program.  Currently, PRHC hosts their own dialysis unit and supports another satellite location at Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg. 

Under the Regional Renal Program, all patients are assessed and referred to satellite care from the Regional Centre 'hub'.  Some patients will be considered too unstable or unwell to attend a satellite service for their dialysis treatments. The Regional Centre will be making these clinical determinations.

In 2004, the District Health Council completed a review of Renal Disease services which demonstrated a high and growing need for local dialysis services.  The study found that 50 people in the City of Kawartha Lakes travel to other communities to obtain needed dialysis services.  By 2012, that number was projected to increase by almost 55% to 77 people.  By 2017 - only 10 years from now -  it was projected to increase by yet another 55% to see 120 people in the City of Kawartha Lakes requiring dialysis services.

Dialysis is a treatment for  kidney failure.  The kidneys remove waste and excess water (fluids) collected by, and carried in, the blood as it flows through the body and the cleansed blood returns to the heart to be re-circulated.  In dialysis, blood is passed through an artificial kidney called a dialyzer, which does the work of healthy kidneys.