Doubt cast over APY dialysis treatment cost-effectiveness
10/07/2013
Dignity for Disabilities MLC Kelly Vincent has questioned the cost efficiency of transporting dialysis patients from the APY Lands, in South Australia’s far north, for treatment.
Ms Vincent says there are 21 people on the lands with end stage kidney disease who need regular renal dialysis.
She says those people need to travel to Alice Springs or Adelaide to get treatment.
Ms Vincent has called on the Government to set up dialysis facilities at Pukatja but she has been told it is too expensive.
“One can only imagine that when you are very ill and you’re having to leave your home and your family and community behind quite regularly and travel quite a distance to receive treatment, that could have a very severe impact on you both physically, health-wise and emotionally, mentally,” she said.
“We certainly don’t know how providing a local service in Pukutja on the lands could be more expensive than flying people out to Alice Springs or Adelaide to get renal dialysis when they require it and keeping them in hospital for that time as well.”
Country Health SA Eyre, Flinders and Far North regional director Verity Paterson says patients relocate from the APY Lands to get renal dialysis.
She says there are no plans for a permanent service but a renal dialysis “respite bus” allows people to visit their homes while getting treatment.
Find the story here; http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-10/doubt-cast-over-apy-dialysis-treatment-cost/4811196
