NUMBERS GAME

Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service acting chief executive Tina Chinery said the number of people needing dialysis in Cairns was twice the national average.

“This is not about Cairns or Townsville,” she said.

“This is about being able to provide transplant services closer to where our patients live.

“Cairns is an expert hub for people with kidney disease across Far North Queensland.”