MEADOW LAKE — Patients in northwest Saskatchewan now have access to hemodialysis services closer to home.
A new six-bed satellite hemodialysis unit in Northwest Health Facility (NHF) in Meadow Lake has been officially opened.
Operational since March and staffed by specially trained nurses, the new dialysis unit can accommodate six patients at one time, and runs twice per day, accommodating 12 patients.
Typically, hemodialysis patients receive three, four-hour treatments per week. Eligible patients can now access dialysis services closer to home, eliminating the burden of having to travel to other locations in the province for treatment. A patient's eligibility will be determined after assessing their risk factors as well as treatment plan to ensure they meet the criteria for safe appropriate care in the satellite unit.
"Meadow Lake is currently the most northern satellite dialysis clinic with other northern satellite clinics located in Prince Albert, Tisdale and North Battleford,” Saskatchewan Health Authority Chief Operating Officer Derek Miller.
“The SHA is currently planning for an additional satellite clinic to be located in La Ronge."
The Saskatchewan Government has budged $700,000 in ongoing funding for unit operations and improved access to kidney health services for area residents. The government's initial investment was $2.65 million for construction of the unit, with the Meadow Lake Tribal Council and Indigenous Services Canada providing $1.05 million for equipment and furnishings.
