New kidney dialysis services for patients in the southeast will be based at two locations in Kilkenny city and begin operating next month.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has announced that Kilcreene Hospital and the Wellstone Clinic have been chosen to provide the services on an "interim" basis. Last month, Fresenius, a German healthcare company, won a tender to provide additional dialysis services for the region but has yet to establish a facility in Ireland.
The HSE said that beginning on Monday, September 4th, 25 patients will have access to renal dialysis machines at Kilcreene Hospital. The arrangement will last for 30 weeks. Separately, 14 patients will be treated "shortly" at the Wellstone Clinic for "a period of 20 weeks" after which the arrangement will be reviewed. These interim measures are intended to alleviate the long distances endured by renal dialysis patients in Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford - some of whom have to travel to Dublin for dialysis three times a week.
The region's only existing dialysis facility at Waterford Regional Hospital is operating at capacity. As a result, many elderly patients have to undergo treatment after midnight while others suffer long return journeys to Dublin treatment centres.
The Wellstone Clinic, operated by Irish company PEI Ltd, has been idle since January despite being fully equipped and staffed to provide dialysis, a situation Kilkenny Labour councillor Michael O'Brien described as "bureaucracy gone mad".
A spokesman said the clinic would treat patients "in their locality, thus avoiding long commutes or treatment during unsociable hours".
The Kilkenny-based services will function as "satellite units" of Waterford Regional Hospital's Dialysis Unit and patients will remain under the care of the consultant nephrologists there. A spokesman said the HSE is satisfied that "the interim arrangements will greatly improve the quality of service".
No decision has yet been made on where planned "permanent" services will be located.
Fresenius Ireland Ltd is a newly-established unit of Fresenius AG, which is listed on the Frankfurt and New York stock exchanges.
