Three new dialysis units are coming to Nova Scotia, with one going to coming to Richmond County’s Strait Richmond Hospital in Evanston.

Antigonish MLA and Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson said as the province’s population grows, so too does the need for increased access to life-saving dialysis treatment closer to home.
A release from the province states the units are going up using a construction method called Design for Manufacture and Assembly, which allows facilities to be constructed off-site and assembled on-site, reducing delays and unforeseen costs.

Richmond MLA Trevor Boudreau explained there are four dialysis stations at the Strait Richmond Hospital currently, and the new unit will add two more seats. He said the extra seats will allow 8-12 more people access to care. Boudreau said the four seats at the Strait Richmond currently are in a temporary unit, noting  the upgrades will mean the hospital will have a true dialysis unit.

Boudreau said health care has been a priority of the provincial government, calling this another example of supporting people in rural communities.

 Construction is set to begin after a vendor is selected and detailed design is complete.