Eileen and Barbara set up dialysis clinic in Banteer
PEOPLE who may have a relative or friend receiving Kidney dialysis will be aware of how the necessary three weekly treatments can negatively impact on the patients lifestyle, and in particular restrict their ability to travel.
Now visitors to North Cork and indeed the wider Munster area who suffer from End Stage Kidney Disease can avail of a fantastic new service which has just been set up by two intrepid women in Banteer.
Eileen Phelan and Barbara Wallace are experienced dialysis nurses who believe that the ethos of this service should always be the provision of a nurturing space for patients and their travelling companions alike.
“It should be more hospitality and less Hospital,” said Eileen.
With this in mind, their clinic is set up in a 200-year-old cottage located amid the beautiful countryside in Banteer where, while the patient is receiving treatment, their loved ones can walk by the Glen or Blackwater Rivers, explore Mount Hillary or take a trip into nearby Kanturk or Mallow.
Globally, some two-million people suffer from End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) and require a minimum of thee dialysis treatments per week.
Though they may be fit to travel, the lack of dedicated holiday dialysis facilities, particularly in Ireland, presents a problem for sufferers. Indeed, many in the recent Irish diaspora may have developed ESKD since departure and now cannot come home to visit friends and loved ones.
Owing to domestic demand, the Irish health system is unable to provide a dedicated holiday service.
Consequently, until now, ESKD patients have had little access to Ireland. Globally this represents an untapped source of 2 million travellers and a subsequent loss of tourist revenue.
Now, those who need regular Dialysis treatments while on holiday in the locality can be assured of receiving their vital treatments in the safe hands of Eileen and Barbara in Banteer.
More information on the initiative is available on www. irishholidaydialysis.ie.