Belleville based Nephrologist Doctor David Weinstein, speaking to an OurTMH open house Wednesday, March29/17.(Photo: Quinte News).
A recently arrived local Nephrologist is spearheading a drive to build a multi-disciplinary chronic kidney disease and dialysis clinic at Trenton Memorial Hospital.
Dr. David Weinstein, who practices in Belleville, told a crowd of close to 100 at an OurTMH open house tonight (Wednesday) that the greater Quinte region is seriously under serviced when it comes to chronic kidney disease.
Dr. Weinstein said that dozens of dialysis patients are being hugely inconvenienced by having to travel to Kingston, Oshawa, or Peterborough for their treatments 3 times a week.
The travelling can be prohibitively costly for many people as well.
There are satellite dialysis units in Belleville and Picton, but patients using those sites must be in fairly good health, and many suffering from chronic kidney disease are not in good condition and are forced to travel out of the area.
Dr. Weinstein has prepared a proposal for a full service clinic and it is now in front of the Ontario Renal Network. Should the Network approve of the plan, the project will have cleared its first and most important hurdle.
The kidney disease and dialysis clinic proposal is already being supported by the Quinte Health Care Board of Directors, OurTMH, and the Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation.
Several local healthcare professionals are also backing the idea.
The Ontario Renal Network is expected to reply to the proposal within a month.
If it approves, planning and local fundraising will begin in earnest. It’s likely to take up to 2 years before the unit would open its doors.
Dr. Weinstein proposes a clinic featuring a variety of services and healthcare professionals to help people with chronic kidney disease and even those who have yet to fall ill, but suffer from illnesses like diabetes which often leads to kidney problems.
He has had previous experience proposing and building similar facilities in the U.S. before moving to the Quinte region to practice.
