Newman hospital renal hope

Renal dialysis may likely be available closer to home for some East Pilbara residents when the upgraded Newman Hospital is opened in 2019.

While renal dialysis wasn’t on the original business case for the hospital, WA Country Health Services Pilbara regional director Ron Wynn told East Pilbara councillors recently he was pretty confident it would be included within the hospital.

“In the past year or so, we’ve realised this renal dialysis stuff is growing,” he said.

“At this stage, it will probably be a four-chair unit.”

For those going through dialysis, having services closer to home is integral, according to Terrence Lockyer.

Mr Lockyer had lived in Marble Bar his whole life before moving to Hedland to begin dialysis last year.

The 45-year-old said he knew many people from around the Pilbara who had to do the same and added having the option to get treatment closer to home meant people could stay with their families and still live a normal life.

“I came straight (to Hedland) when I started,” he said.

“I had to chuck my job in at the primary school so I could come and do dialysis.”

But Mr Lockyer said he was lucky he only had to move a couple of hours from home, adding the hospital could only see so many patients a week because of the number of chairs available.

“It’s very hard to get a spot here, otherwise you’ve got to go to Perth,” he said.

WA Country Health Services could not supply figures on how many people accessed dialysis services in Hedland in time for publication.

WA Government director of projects Paul Aylward said construction of the hospital was planned from November next year to April 2019.