Manitoba expands dialysis services in Dauphin

Access tolife-saving treatment is being boosted in Dauphin, where the Manitoba government is adding 12morespaces for dialysis patients at the regional health centre.

Two trained renal staff have been hired to support the addition of an evening shift at the centre, expanding weekly patient capacity from 24 to 36, the province said in a news release on Thursday.

The centre will deliverhemodialysis treatments,whichusea machine to remove blood from the body, clean it and then return it to the body.

The extra spaces will be available startingMarch 1and will cost the province $300,000 per year, Health Minister Cameron Friesen said.

Approximately 14 per cent of Manitobans live with kidney disease and about one-third of those face a high chance of developingkidney failure in their lifetime, provincial health officials say.

"As Manitoba's rates of kidney failure continue to rise, expanding these services means more Manitobans will receive this vital treatment as close to home as possible," said Dr. Mauro Verrelli, medical director of the Manitoba Renal Program.

For many people, early detection and treatment of kidney disease can help prevent or delay kidney failure or the need for dialysis, the province said, urging people to learn more about kidney health and the Manitoba Renal Program on the program's website.