If all continues to progress on schedule, the satellite renal dialysis site in Tisdale Hospital will be fully operational by April [1998].
Since the November 1997 government approval of the project, fundraising has brought in over $62,000 for the $180,000 capital cost for the project. Saskatchewan Health will cover expenses associated with training staff and the ongoing operating costs.
The capital fundraising project recently received a boost with the donation of two dialysis machines for the Tisdale site. The Kinsmen foundation recently donated four machines, valued at approximately $27,000 each to St. Paul’s Hospital for use in home and satellite dialysis and the Tisdale project was the recipient of part of that donation.
“We have to raise $54,000 less but the fundraising for equipment will be an ongoing process because the life expectancy for the majority of the equipment is five to seven years,” explained Pasquia Health District CEO Gordon Denton.
The Tisdale satellite unit will be equipped with a total of four dialysis machines. Three machines will be used on a regular basis while the fourth will be on standby.
Training of the nursing personnel that will operate the dialysis unit is underway at the dialysis unit in St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon. The training period, which began Feb. 1, will last from six to eight weeks.
The dialysis unit will be located in Tisdale Hospital directly across from the nursing station in a space currently occupied by Pasquia Home Care. Over the coming months, several areas of the hospital will undergo renovation to accommodate a number of moves that will occur within the hospital.
Renovations are currently underway in the former physiotherapy area of the hospital which will become a temporary home for Pasquia Home Care. The home care offices will move in order to allow their space to be renovated to accommodate the dialysis unit. Renovations to the former home care space are expected to start within the next two or three weeks.
Ultimately, Pasquia Home Care will move to a permanent home in the space currently occupied by the health district offices. The former physiotherapy area will become the new home for a district dietician, health educator and the cardiac rehabilitation program. The health district offices will move into the former Dag Hammarskjold School following renovations to it. This move is not expected to proceed until after the dialysis unit is up and running.
Upon completion of renovations, the dialysis unit will feature three stations. It will also include a rest area, soiled utility room, storage and water purification room adjacent to the dialysis area to provide support.
“Everything is going really well. Our target for operation is April 6 and we believe that will happen. We’re very pleased with the way everything is going,” Denton remarked.
