A renal dialysis unit has opened at Western Isles Hospital here in Stornoway, where patients can go who require dialysis of their blood. This normally needs to be done two or three times a week.
In the past, patients had to travel to Inverness's Raigmore Hospital 2 or 3 times a week, making it difficult for them to lead a normal life away from their illness. Renal dialysis is needed when the kidneys stop functioning (properly), leading to the build up of waste material from the body in the blood. In healthy people, this is normally filtered by the kidneys and voided into the urine. People who require dialysis tend to feel increasingly tired and unwell as the time for their dialysis, basically a filtration, draws near.
About two-thirds of the islands' population live outside Stornoway, and about one fifth off the main island (Lewis / Harris). Cutting out the flights to Inverness means a great improvement of their quality of life.
Previous problems within the Western Isles Health Board, who administer health care in these islands, have impeded progress on this front, but it is very good to finally see this project come to fruition.
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I am glad getting to dialysis has been made easier for patients Thrre is a woman in here who has been getting dialysis going on 17 years. She looked so cheeful the other day I talked to her about it, and she said she was just thankful to still be alive. I had asked her once before why she didn't try to get a kidney transplant. I knew another women who did get one and got off dialysis. She said that one just didn't come up for her and now it was too late. She was too old to qualify. I think most people are willing to adjust to whatever treatment will keep them alive and give me some time. Gerry
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they have a new closer place for the patients. It's so hard on them to have to travel far.
ReplyDeletePam