Health PEI announces upgrades to Western Hospital's dialysis unit

Health PEI announced on Thursday that upgrades to the dialysis unit at Western Hospital in Alberton, P.E.I.,are on their way to assist those withchronic kidney disease.

The$500,000budgeted in last year's provincial capital budget will go to improvements at the hospital, including a state-of-the-art water filtration system, improvements to infection prevention and patient privacy.

They are currently in the planning and design phase, with construction to begin by the end of summer.

The main focus will be on a water filtration unit that works with patients getting hemodialysis.

Patients already receivedialysis care at Western Hospitaland the construction will not impact that as they work in a different space.

"[We are] looking at a space in Western Hospital to update our current state-of-the-art system that is there into a newer technology, so that our water system will be upgraded," said Cheryl Banks, director of hospital services and provincial renal program.

"We will [also] be looking at things like infection control, confidentiality, privacy issues for the patients and the staff there at that site," Banks said.

Patient care a priority

The new space will be improved for the current patients, with room to expand in the future if needed.

This improvement to the dialysis unit will be similar to the upgrades at the SourisHospital in 2015.

They also plan to renovate another space in the hospital to improve the palliative care spaces.

Banks says it is great news for the patients in the region, who can spend a lot of time at the hospital.

"It's very exhausting to be on dialysis Monday, Wednesday, Friday, from anywhere from three to four hours at a time," said Banks.

"Add into that a couple of hours of travel time and it takes a lot out of our patients, so this will allow our patients to stay as close to home as possible and decrease thattravel time and to be able to have the service within their own community."

The construction should be complete in early 2019.

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