More patients will be able to receive hemodialysis treatment at Battlefords Union Hospital (BUH) when the dialysis unit begins operating six days a week Jan. 10.
Currently, the unit operates three days a week, treating 12 patients locally. Eight patients from the Battlefords area travel to Saskatoon for treatment. Increasing the dialysis unit's operating hours means those patients can be treated closer to home, according to a Prairie North Heatlh Region press release.
"We are pleased to provide funding to make it easier for patients to access a very important health service," Health Minister Don McMorris said. "This expansion will mean less travel time, expenses, and stress for patients in northwest Saskatchewan who need dialysis several times a week."
To enable the expansion, the provincial government provided one-time funding of $235,000 to upgrade the dialysis unit's water system and complete necessary renovations to the physical space.
The province will also provide increased annual operating funding for supplies and staff costs.
"The demand for this service is growing, so it's important for us to be able to meet that need locally, as much as possible," said Barb Jiricka, PNHR vice-president of Integrated Health Services.
"The expanded hours and additional staff members will help us provide the safest and best possible care and experience for our Region's dialysis patients."
Dialysis is a procedure that removes excess waste and water from blood in patients who have reduced kidney function.
