'SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL NEED' FOR STAFFED ROEBOURNE DIALYSIS CENTRE
Until September, Yindjibarndi Elder Tootsie Daniel was in Perth receiving dialysis and other medical treatment. Credit: Robyn Marais.
BY GERARD MAZZA
A Yindjibarndi Elder is calling for a nurse-supported dialysis centre to be installed in Roebourne.
Until September, Tootsie Daniel spent around a year in Perth receiving dialysis and other medical treatment.
She has now returned home to Roebourne and will have to travel two hours to Hedland to receive dialysis in a staff-supervised facility.
“Roebourne badly needs a dialysis centre,” she said.
“We’ve got a lot of mining companies coming here, cutting the people’s country, and what do they do in return?”
“Ours is a spiritual and a physical need. We need [dialysis] here in Roebourne, badly, badly, badly. We don’t need to go to Hedland.”
In Roebourne, there is a community supported home dialysis unit onsite at Mawarnkarra Aboriginal Medical Services for patients who can supervise their treatment on their own or with a carer.
A spokesperson for Mawarnkarra initially told Ngaarda Media: “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.”
Through a spokesperson, the WA Country Health Service said it “supported”, rather than managed, the facility.
Mawarnkarra later confirmed this was the case.
“Mawarnkarra is responsible for the upkeep of the building and provides meals and transport to patients attending the unit,” a spokesperson said.
“Although the facility is unstaffed, both the patients and machines are managed by Fresenius Kidney Care Australia from Perth.”
Fresenius Kidney Care has been contacted for comment.
The nearest nurse-led dialysis centre is at Hedland Health Campus.
The WA Country Health Service spokesperson said: “Strategies - both short and long term - are being implemented to deliver dialysis treatments closer to home and reduce wait times.”
This article was updated on 17 October to clarify who was responsible for the operation of the Roebourne dialysis unit.