ROEBOURNE DIALYSIS CONFUSION
The community supported home dialysis unit is housed onsite at Mawarnkarra Health Service in Roebourne.
In the Pilbara, two health organisations have made contradictory statements about who runs the community supported home dialysis unit in Roebourne.
The centre is housed at Mawarnkarra Health Service and contains four dialysis bays where patients can supervise their own treatment alone or with a carer.
According to a Mawarnkarra spokesperson, “The home dialysis facility is housed on the grounds of Mawarnkarra Health Service, but the service itself isn’t run by Mawarnkarra – it’s run by the WA Country Health Service, which is responsible for dialysis services.”
A WA Country Health Service (WACHS) spokesperson said Mawarnkarra manages the facility, which is “supported” by WACHS.
According to the spokesperson, WACHS’s role is to provide renal specialist visits.
Community members are calling for nurse-supported dialysis to be offered in Roebourne so patients who can’t use the home dialysis unit don’t have to travel two hours each way to Hedland for treatment.