QUINTE WEST. JULY 25, 2019. In July 2018, the Our TMH group reported on its grassroots data collection of local dialysis patients, all in support of bringing a chronic kidney disease clinic to Trenton Memorial Hospital. More than 90 people in this community of Quinte West and Brighton are on some form of dialysis. This is a sharp increase from the 19 patients the Ontario Renal Network claim actually exist in our area. Many people opt not to receive treatment because the costs of travelling, the costs of the dialysis itself, and the diminished quality of life.

So, why doesn’t Trenton Memorial Hospital have a chronic kidney disease clinic and dialysis? “We can’t understand why there isn’t dialysis here when the members of provincial parliament all know about these numbers, plus we have been able to demonstrate to them that it could be done here at TMH at little to no cost to them,” said Mike Cowan, chair of Our TMH. Funding follows the dialysis patient, capital costs are born by the community. Hospital funding is not related to enabling a Chronic Kidney Disease to set up at Trenton Memorial Hospital. 

While diabetes is expected to increase from two-million people to three-million people in Canada over the next decade, most distressing is the growth of Type 2 diabetes amongst children and adolescents. Our results demonstrate 16.5% of those surveyed have diabetes, this is higher than the South East LHIN number which is already higher than the provincial number – demonstrating high numbers of potential dialysis patients in the future.  The proposed chronic kidney disease clinic can provide desperately needed prevention and education tools to hopefully prevent dialysis. This treatment is not even available at the satellite dialysis centres close by and another reason why Our TMH want one in Trenton. Sharon Urquhart from Our TMH, who can be found at local events speaking to the public, said she that while diabetes is the leading cause of dialysis – she is hearing more and more that some dialysis patients didn’t lose the function of their kidneys from diabetes but other reasons, such as strep throat, the flu or as a result of cardiac surgery.

 “The journey from Trenton to Kingston for dialysis has been an excruciating experience for me and my family. While I’m not ready to give it up, I do understand why some of my peers have. I’m not a candidate for home dialysis, so I have to go to Kingston just to survive, for the rest of my life. We’ve travelled through freezing rain, snow storms, traffic accidents, and construction delays, but I will continue to go so I can see my grandchildren grow up.”  Anonymous.

Please sign our petition to help move forward this desperately needed community resource to help everyone suffering from chronic kidney disease and, most importantly, their heroic care givers to have increased access to these life-saving treataments.

Our politicians have expressed their support for this service at TMH but have, so far, not followed through on turning their support into action. This petition will help to draw their attention to our need.