Expanded dialysis unit for Pictou area

More people in the Pictou area who receive life-saving dialysis treatment will soon be able to receive care closer to home.

The Province is investing $3.58 million to expand renal care at Sutherland Harris Memorial Hospital in Pictou.

“Nova Scotians who need dialysis spend a lot of time every week getting critical care, and many are burdened with the added hardship of travelling hours to the hospital for that care,” said Community Services Minister Karla MacFarlane, MLA for Pictou West, on behalf of Michelle Thompson, Minister of Health and Wellness. “This unit will be transformative for people in Pictou County who will now be able to get life-saving care faster and closer to home.”

The renal care service at Sutherland Harris will grow from four dialysis stations to 12, providing care for an additional 22 dialysis patients a week, up to 48. The expanded unit will eliminate the current wait list and the need for patients to travel to Antigonish, Truro or Halifax for critical treatment. Residents who must travel to receive dialysis occupy spots that could be used by other patients in those communities.

This investment includes required renovations to existing available space. The new unit will be in the same building as the Northumberland Veterans Unit, home to about 20 people requiring long-term care. Those who would need dialysis would not have to leave the hospital, eliminating the need to be transported to receive care.

The project, expected to be completed later this year, will be funded under the 2023-24 capital plan, with support from the Sutherland Harris Memorial Hospital Foundation and Aberdeen Health Foundation.