Tuesday morning marked the grand opening of the expanded renal dialysis unit at Battlefords Union Hospital.
The new unit provides for expanded renal dialysis services at BUH to 36 patients, which allows for 50 per cent more dialysis patients to be served in North Battleford.
The move to their new room also freed up their former space for a renovated chemotherapy unit at BUH. Both are on the third floor of the hospital.
The new chemo area allows more natural light and more room for patients and their families and friends.
Prairie North Health Region chair Bonnie O’Grady called it a “larger, more patient-friendly space.”
The expansion of the dialysis unit was paid for by $600,000 in one-time funding from the Ministry of Health. Annual funding also increased by $430,000 to cover ongoing operating costs.
The expanded service includes three new dialysis stations, bringing the total number of stations to nine.
Those stations are used twice a day, and the dialysis unit is open six days a week. According to nurse manager Patricia McWatters, the added stations means “we can treat six more patients a day. These patients no longer wait on wait lists or travel back and forth to Saskatoon. They are much closer to home now.”
The chemo unit received $60,000 from the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency to pay for renovations.
The expansion was celebrated with a ribbon cutting and cheque presentation at Battlefords Union Hospital, including a representative from Prairie North Health Region as well as from Battlefords MLA Herb Cox.
“Bringing these services closer to home is an important objective for the provincial chronic kidney disease program,” said Cox.
“And reducing the need to travel helps to improve the quality of life for dialysis patients who require treatment several times a week.”
