Temporary Dialysis Unit at Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre

Nova Scotians who receive life-saving dialysis treatment in New Brunswick will soon be able to receive care closer to home.

The Province has allocated $900,000 to establish a temporary, six-station dialysis unit at Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre in Amherst by this summer.

“Nova Scotians deserve to access care as close to home as possible,” said Michelle Thompson, Minister of Health and Wellness. “The temporary unit will improve access to care for dialysis patients in their community, while we explore a permanent solution.”

Eleven Nova Scotians currently travel to Moncton multiple times each week to receive dialysis treatment. Due to staffing challenges at the clinic in Moncton, continued treatment for out-of-province patients is no longer guaranteed.

The temporary dialysis unit can support up to 16 patients when it opens, with capacity increasing to 24 patients after the first year.

The unit will remain in place until the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre redevelopment project is complete. Plans to improve the facility were announced in 2020 and include a new 12-station dialysis unit, which will be in addition to the three dialysis units currently operating in Northern Zone.

Quick Facts:

• there are currently three dialysis units in Northern Zone, at Colchester East Hants Health Centre in Truro, All Saints Springhill Hospital and Sutherland Harris Memorial Hospital in Pictou

Additional Resources:

News release – Government Invests in Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20201202005