Mater Private Hospital Townsville’s new Renal Dialysis Unit and expanded Emergency Department are now open and providing more essential health services to North Queensland patients.
The new renal unit at the Pimlico campus has increased capacity by 50 per cent for patients needing dialysis for kidney disease or kidney failure.
Renal Nurse Unit Manager Maree Storey said the unit has added four extra treatment chairs allowing 12 patients at a time to receive dialysis.
“We run a morning and afternoon shift, six days a week, so we can now hold 144 sessions weekly, and we have the capacity to accept more patients,” Ms Storey said.
“People who have kidney disease or kidney failure attend dialysis three times a week for an average of about four to five hours each session.
“Dialysis is a time-consuming process that filters toxins and extra fluid from people’s blood, and it helps people to continue living after their kidneys have failed.”
Mater Townsville’s new renal service is also accepting patients on holiday from all over Australia who need dialysis while they are in north Queensland.
“This is a great new service to be able to provide to people needing dialysis while visiting the region.
“And all our patients now have direct access to Mater’s full suite of specialists which allows us to deliver high-quality healthcare as required.”
The new renal unit is part of a $40m investment by Mater in the hospital’s Pimlico campus, which also includes construction of a new maternity unit. Maternity services will be transferred from Mater’s Hyde Park campus when the project is completed later this year.
Mater’s Emergency Department has also been expanded with four new treatment bays bringing the total to13.
Mater Private Hospital Townsville’s Director of Emergency Dr Philip Gaudin said the expansion demonstrated the growth in demand for Emergency Department care.
“More than 15,000 patients were treated in the ED last year – a 10 per cent increase on the previous year,” Dr Gaudin said.
“With this extra capacity we can continue to keep wait times to a minimum, and both public and private patients will have access to Mater’s full suite of clinicians and services.”
Mater Private Hospital Townsville General Manager Stephanie Barwick said the new renal unit and expanded Emergency Department demonstrate Mater’s commitment to improving services for North Queenslanders.
“We are constantly prioritising and investing in healthcare services to enhance patient care in the region and to meet the growing demands from the community,” Ms Barwick said.
“Mater's ED triages and treats everything from major to minor illnesses and injuries, and all ages from paediatric to adult.
“The additional treatment bays will support our critical care capabilities and complement further services moving to our Pimlico campus later this year.”
