"This is a wonderful development for our province, addressing growing demand and making life easier for those living with kidney disease," Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds said at the opening of the facility yesterday.
"I’m delighted that we’ve been able to make this happen here in our city — allowing Southlanders access to healthcare where and when they need it."
Ms Simmonds said in a statement the new unit was significant because it gave local people access to much-needed care in Invercargill, rather than enduring regular travel to Dunedin Hospital.
"At present some patients must travel to Dunedin three times a week for dialysis, while comprehensive training for home-based dialysis can take up to 12 weeks — again requiring patients to stay in Dunedin," she said.
"I think it’s a game-changer that these services can now be offered locally. I know that they will make a huge difference in the lives of kidney patients and their families in this province."
Health Minister Simeon Brown said the unit featured five haemodialysis spaces to treat outpatients and some inpatients from across the hospital.
There was also a dedicated area for peritoneal dialysis training and follow-up care.
In time, the unit would also support training for patients who wished to begin home haemodialysis in order to give people greater independence and flexibility in managing their treatment.
In the past, dialysis services in Invercargill were delivered from a space that had been intended as an "away-from-home" facility for visitors, but growing demand meant it accommodated some regular dialysis patients.
"With demand increasing, a fit-for-purpose dialysis service in Southland became essential," Mr Brown said.
"This new unit increases the number of dialysis chairs from two to five, improving access for patients."
The new service was expected to initially support six to eight haemodialysis patients a week, but numbers were expected to grow over the next six months, he said.
Ms Simmonds said the unit was fully staffed — it had a doctor trained in both general and renal medicine and an associate charge nurse manager recruited to work at the unit.
Previously, a charge nurse manager from Dunedin managed Invercargill operations.
Construction began in November last year and was completed ahead of schedule and budget on February 4
The work was done by local contractor Amalgamated Builders, she said.
— Allied Media
