Dartmouth dialysis patient upset about temporary relocation to Halifax

A dialysis patient at the Dartmouth General Hospital is upset he'll soon have to travel to Halifax three times a week for treatment because of a renovation at the site he currently goes to.

"Nobody came and asked the patients. It's the people that it really affected the most," said Calvin Kilgar, a dialysis patient of more than 10 years at Dartmouth General. "Nobody even spoke to us."

The renovations will take about a yearand will increasethe number of hemodialysis units atDartmouth General from 10 to 16, which will allow the hospital to treat 96 patients a week, up from 60.

Moving the patients from Dartmouth to Halifax will cut the renovation time from 36 monthsto 12 months, and will shave about a million dollars off the cost, said David Landry, senior director of the Nova Scotia Health Authority.

"I think it's all about money," Kilgar said. "They're taking the money over the patients, so I don't think it's right."

Kilgar said he and other patients at Dartmouth Generalheard rumours about renovations, but didn't realize it would mean a temporary relocation.

"We understood that they were just going to, like, mask it off with plastic or whatever and work around us," he said.

Landry said doing the 12-month renovation was the only realistic option.

"We've been working for about six years to look for a solution to increase capacity for Dartmouth residents for dialysis in that area," hesaid."Keeping staff and patients there for three years and taping off and courting off pieces that look different... we didn't think was a feasible solution," he said.

Kilgarsaid he would prefer the longer renovation.

Landry said because of a wait list at Dartmouth General, 20 patients already travel to Halifax for their dialysis treatment. For those 20 patients, they won't have to make the 156 trips annually to Halifax once the renovation is complete.

"We want to keep people as close to home as possible," Landry said.

Dartmouth General dialysis patients were told about the move in Julyand some voiced their concerns to the Nova Scotia Health Authority about transportation and the lack of consultation.

"Where real options are limited, it would be disingenuous to ask for input when it would not result in a change in decision," the NSHA said in a statement.

Landry said the NSHA is continuing to workwith patients and families, heartheir concernsand explore what community resources might be available to help support them financially.