Dialysis services sought for northern Cape Breton

A group advocating for dialysis patients in northern Cape Breton says treatment should be provided closer to home.

Janet Anczurowskiis among those who spendbetween six and seven hours everyweek travelling for life-saving dialysis.

The Chticamp woman relies on a friend for drivesto Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital three times a week for treatment. Dialysis usually takes about four hours.

"If I didn't get dialysis, I'd be dead," said Anczurowski.

Anczurowski said the drive to hospital can be made particularly challenging by strong southeasterly winds known as lesSutesthat nearly pushed her and another drive off the road two years ago.

At-home treatment

Members of a local advocacygroup known asDialysis Services in Chticamp say a program offering dialysis at home is not working.

"It's like asking a carpenter, a meat cutter, an office worker, to go train for a week or six weeks, depending on which system you decided to choose," said Darlene Doucet. "And then you are essentially delivering dialysis services to a loved one."

Doucet becameinvolved in the mission to bring health services to her community after herfather, who has since passed away, underwent dialysis last year.

Anczurowski said the at-home program is not something she's considered.

"You get about 30 boxes a month, so you have to have room plus you have to have somebody who's willing to do that, and I don't have anybody to do that," she said.

Group member Lisette Aucoin-Bourgeois said providing a service in Chticamp would allow some patients to speak with health professionals in their first language.

Some older community members have found it difficult to properly express themselves while undergoing treatment, she said.

"Somebody who is sick and needs to explain their condition will often converse in their first language and in our case, it's French," she said. "We have to keep fighting to make sure that issue is addressed."

Chticampnot considered for dialysis site

Marla MacInnis, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Wellness, said Chticamp is not currently being considered for a dialysis site.

A new $8-million dialysis centre recently opened at theGlace Bay Hospital, which the province has saidwill take some of the strain off Sydney.

According to the province, a number of factors go into determining the location of sites, including population, distance to current locations and staffing.

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