The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Health and Community Services:

Enhanced Dialysis Services Successfully Meeting the Needs of Patients

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House today to reinforce our government’s unwavering commitment to providing quality health care services to the people in this province. Particularly, I would like to highlight some of the significant enhancements we have made in the provision of dialysis services in the last few years.

Since 2004, our government has invested approximately $189 million in dialysis services throughout the province. This includes the establishment of seven new dialysis sites in Burin, Carbonear, Gander, St. Anthony, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador West and Port aux Basques for a total of 14 sites province-wide. We can now accommodate 531 patients at these sites. This is an increase of 191 patients.

Mr. Speaker, in the last couple of years, we have invested approximately $400,000 to expand dialysis services in St. Anthony, including funding for staffing, operating costs and the installation of a water treatment system. This investment allows for the accommodation of six additional dialysis patients, for a total of 16. As a result, there is no waitlist for dialysis in St. Anthony at this time.

Mr. Speaker, residents have expressed the necessity for increased dialysis services, and through our continued investment we are successfully meeting the needs of those individuals. Enhancing dialysis services so that residents have access to treatment as close to home as possible is a key priority for our government.

In Budget 2012, we invested approximately $1.9 million to continue to improve dialysis services in the province. This includes $1 million to further expand dialysis services in Harbour Breton by establishing a satellite dialysis unit to help meet the expected increase for dialysis treatment in the area.

Our government will continue to enhance dialysis services in Newfoundland and Labrador to ensure we have the technology and equipment available to meet the needs of our residents now and into the future.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

2012 06 19             2:00 p.m.