New renal unit

THE Clare branch of the Irish Kidney Association, along with the Limerick and Tipperary branches, were relieved to hear that planning permission has been granted for the long-awaited dialysis unit on the grounds of the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle.

 

Over 150 patients from the area attend the dialysis unit at Limerick hospital or the Fresenius Medical Centre on the Dock Road for haemodialysis treatment. Thirty of these patients are from Clare, with additional patients attending Merlin Park, Galway.

About 2,000 people from the Mid-West attend the renal clinics at the regional hospital, 20 of whom are patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) that are approaching the need for dialysis treatment.
The new building will incorporate a 20-station haemodialysis unit with four isolation stations, along with a new peritoneal dialysis unit (PD Home Dialysis). There will be 10 designated parking spaces for dialysis patients with provision for patients using hospital transport.

If some funding is provided from the HSE for the availability of the parking spaces, the Clare IKA branch believes it could be an incentive for patients to drive themselves for treatment if they feel well enough to do so. In addition to reducing the hospital transport budget, this would in turn reduce the amount of travelling time a patient endures.

Just this week the PD unit at the hospital was moved to a new temporary home, while facilities for peritoneal dialysis and pre-dialysis patients have improved with the provision of a much bigger waiting area and treatment rooms in the critical care block.

Along with a dialysis patient, Clare IKA branch treasurer Peggy Eustace represented the many Clare patients, together with representatives from the Limerick and Tipperary IKA branches, at a recent meeting with Consultant Nephrologist Dr Liam Casserly and clinical nurse managers.

They were invited to give their views from the patients’ perspective concerning comfort within the new unit.

“While it’s wonderful the green light has been given for this new facility, we feel with the increase in the numbers of renal patients in the region there is greater need now for the provision of a dedicated renal ward within the hospital complex with renal nursing care.

“This would reduce the risk of infection for patients, especially those on the transplant waiting list. This is the acceptable standard worldwide and is something we have campaigned for over the years. Also required are extra clinical nurse specialists (CNS) to facilitate the opening of the additional clinics; this would also facilitate with transplant work-ups and mean less waiting time at the clinics,” she said.