Gunnedah Shire Council has voted to push the investigation of a dialysis machine for Gunnedah.
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At a council meeting attended by Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson late yesterday, council voted to send a letter to Mr Anderson to push for state government support for a machine.
Dialysis equipment can cost up to $2 million, and the issue caused some debate in the council chamber.
Councillor Rebecca Ryan said she found herself in the “unlikely position” of speaking against the motion.
“I am very supportive of investigating the idea, but I think we need to look at the broader picture,” Cr Ryan said.
“We have heard from the local member and it may be requested that it be re-investigated.
“It was last looked at in 2011, and it may be that the needs have increased, but I think we need to be quite realistic and look at the overall health needs of the community.”
Cr Ryan said there needed to be a close look at what options were available.
“We could stand here and say let’s get a dialysis machine, but my advice from the little bit of research I have done is that we will need clinical staff six days a week, we are looking at making a renal specialist available to the community – it could be $1 million or $2 million.
“I’m not saying we shouldn’t have that here, I am saying we need to look at the mix to see if that’s where we go first.”
Cr Tim Duddy said he could not see the difference between what Cr Ryan was asking for and the motion in front of council seeking support for further investigation of a machine for Gunnedah.
Cr Colleen Fuller, who moved the notice of motion, said there was a growing need for dialysis in Gunnedah.
She said today she had just been made aware of four additional people who had been diagnosed as needing dialysis.
Currently, people who have end stage kidney failure and require dialysis have to travel to Tamworth to treatment three times a week.
Gunnedah resident Fonz Evans is one of the people behind the push for a dialysis machine, having written a letter to council seeking their support earlier this year.
Cr Fuller said there were a range of options available for dialysis patients other than the top-of-the-range machines.
“I am not saying we need to go for those million dollar things,” she said.
“But we do need to provide a better service for the people of Gunnedah.”
She said she would be investigating the cost of various machines and options.
Council will also write to Mr Anderson to seek support.
“This has been discussed at a hospital level,” Cr Fuller told the meeting yesterday.
“It was also discussed that we need to take it to the [health] minister.
“At the end of the day, the minister is the one who makes the decision.
“The whole idea is to get that letter forwarded and let the government and the minister take the decision of whether it is warranted or not.
“If it is not warranted, we will need to take action on outreach dialysis.”
The NSW government promised a $2 million hospital upgrade ahead of this year’s state election.
That money is believed to be proposed for structural work and not for additional equipment such as a dialysis machine.