Construction underway
Doctor says new provincial renal clinic will improve flow of patients
A good deal more room is being made to care for Islanders with chronic kidney disease.
Construction on a new provincial renal clinic at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown will begin next week and is expected to take about nine months.
The new 557-squaremetre clinic will include eight patient care/exam rooms, a dedicated waiting room and reception area, a patient training room, a family conference room, a clinical work space, meeting rooms, offices for program staff and storage space for renal equipment.
Dr. Derek Chaudhary, a nephrologist and the provincial renal program medical director, says the extra space will improve the speed and quality of care.
“It will help improve flow so we can have more patients go through,’’ he says.
“In essence, it helps us manage these patients better.’’
Chaudhary also sees the renal clinic reducing the strain on hemodialysis care, which is operating at capacity at all four Island sites.
“Sure, we are at capacity for dialysis and we’re always looking to be more efficient and looking for further assistance. But I think the key is the better you manage a patient before dialysis, the better the outcome is for the patient – and, in fact, you may be able to delay dialysis,’’ he says.
“Dialysis is a last option, not a first choice, and if we can delay the progression of their renal disease, it really helps the system but most importantly helps the patient and their families.’’
There are currently 119 Islanders receiving hemodialysis - a treatment that cleans the blood – at the QEH, the Prince County Hospital, the Souris Hospital and the Western Hospital in Alberton.
The province’s renal services also support 18 patients in the peritoneal dialysis, and103 in the post-kidney program. Another 30 Islanders with early onset chronic kidney disease are being closely monitored.
“I think chronic disease carries with it a lot of stress emotionally (and) physically,’’ adds Chaudhary.
“To be able to have better access for the patient, I think, will make a big difference… To have all this additional space is going to be a huge benefit, and it’s very exciting to see that opportunity coming soon.’’
Health and Wellness Minister Robert Mitchell says the provincial renal clinic will ensure the growing number of Islanders diagnosed with chronic kidney disease will have “better access to the supports, resources and life-sustaining care they need, when they need it, and right here on P.E.I.’’
“Sure, we are at capacity for dialysis and we’re always looking to be more efficient and looking for further assistance. But I think the key is the better you manage a patient before dialysis, the better the outcome is for the patient – and, in fact, you may be able to delay dialysis,’’
Dr. Derek Chaudhary