New home for Wairoa self-care dialysis unit

Wairoa’s community dialysis unit is being moved to Wairoa Hospital. 

“We are delighted to announce we’re about to relocate the self-care renal unit to Wairoa hospital from its current base in Marine Parade,” service director communities, women and children Claire Caddie said. 

The unit means people able to independently manage home dialysis, but whose homes are not suitable – for reasons such as low water pressure or water quality - can still have access to the service close to where they live, rather than having to more nearer to Hawke’s Bay Hospital in Hastings. As with the current unit, users will have access to the 24/7 help phone number if they need assistance. 

An existing room at the hospital is in the midst of being renovated after which the specialised plumbing will be installed. The work is expected to be completed by June 2020. The facility, which will have its own external access, will accommodate two users at a time. 

Chris Ash the DHB’s senior representative on the Wairoa community partnership group said the move had been triggered by the community, which wanted a better facility and improved site security. 

 “A commitment was given to the Wairoa community and now we are set to deliver on that promise with the self-care service moving to the new facility at the hospital. Thank you to those who have been advocating this, and to the community for their patience,” Mr Ash said. 

The advantages of the new purpose-built facility include secure access (users will be provided with an access card), that it will be in an area that is relatively high-use, adding another layer of safety, and that the building is owned by the health board and so provides long-term security for the service. 

It is an important facility for the Wairoa community as Māori represent 79 per cent of the dialysis population in Hawke’s Bay. Māori have five time’s higher rates of renal failure compared with non-Māori, and twice the rate of diabetes, which can lead to renal failure.

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