‘Gold’ class treatment coming to renal unit

PATIENTS will soon be receiving the “gold standard” treatment in renal care at the Townsville University Hospital after a huge expansion was officially unveiled.

A $4.6 million extension of the renal unit means an extra 13 chairs will be added to the unit and they will gradually be implemented by the middle of this year.

Deputy Premier and Health Minister Steven Miles applauded the staff at the renal unit for treating patients throughout COVID-19.

He said the expansion, which boosted the number of chairs to 30, meant it was providing “world-class” treatment.

“I want to thank all the hardworking frontline health staff here in Townsville who have continued to deliver the best care,” Mr Miles said.

Member for Mundingburra Coralee O’rourke said the increased capacity also meant the unit would provide provisions for immediate emergency haemodialysis.

“Increasing the capacity means staff will be able to allocate a dedicated chair to be used in emergencies, which is great news for patients,” she said.

The renal unit currently sees between 45 and 50 patients each day.

The opening also followed the $5.9 million expansion of the endoscopy unit last year.

Townsville Hospital and Health Service Board chairman Tony Mooney said the added chairs also helped its commitment to “closing the gap”.

The team also recently welcomed two indigenous health workers to support a “disproportionately large number” of First Nations patients who require treatment in the unit.

The unit runs seven days per week with three separate, four-hour sessions each day.

The extra chairs will allow the centre to comfortably run two sessions, six days per week while giving patients the option of a five-hour dialysis.