Public dialysis services are now available at six hospitals, reducing the distance patients must travel for treatment.

Diamond Regional Hospital, Lima Regional Hospital, Bath Regional Hospital, Number 75 Regional Hospital and De Kinderen Regional Hospital are among the facilities offering the service.

Diamond Regional Hospital Head of Internal Medicine Dr Keisha Defreitas told the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Tuesday that more than 50 patients have been treated there to date. The aim, she said, is to meet the needs of Region Four patients.

“…With assistance from the nephrology department at GPHC, we are able to identify patients who really need support for the dialysis sessions, and we prioritise them,” she said.

Dr Defreitas said the service operates seven days a week and can treat six patients at a time, including inpatients who require dialysis.

“Presently, due to staffing, we are doing 12-hour shifts, so we work from seven am to seven pm, and based on how the sessions go, sometimes the staff is there after seven,” she said.

At Bath Regional Hospital, about 16 patients have benefited since the service began on September 22, with more expected. Medical Superintendent Dr Daniel Robertson said on Wednesday that two dialysis machines are in operation there.

Region Six Regional Health Officer Dr Vinashri Khirodhar told DPI that Number 75 Village Regional Hospital also has two machines in operation.

Persons requiring dialysis are encouraged to visit any of the six hospitals to arrange treatment sessions.

The expansion forms part of the Health Ministry’s efforts to improve access to essential healthcare closer to communities. (DPI)