The Ontario Auditor General has a new public report and it seconds what those at OurTMH have been saying for years.
The Auditor General’s report about the Ontario Renal Network states there are not fully effective systems and procedures in place to ensure that chronic kidney disease services are provided in a timely, equitable and cost-efficient manner to meet the needs of Ontarians.
OurTMH has been trying to bring a multidisciplinary kidney clinic with dialysis to the Quinte region.
The report also stated there is a mismatch between dialysis capacity and regional needs and that patients aren’t always receiving dialysis at the closest location, creating a waiting list.
The report contains 14 recommendations consisting of 27 actions to address the findings.
OurTMH Chair Mike Cowan says he is convinced that citizens in Quinte West and Brighton are disadvantaged significantly by not having a chronic kidney disease clinic at Trenton Memorial Hospital.
The report warns chronic kidney disease has been referred to as a ‘silent killer’ because it often goes undetected or undiagnosed over several years and in most cases, has no care.
The audit reports the number of Ontarians with end-stage renal disease has ballooned by more than 37% with the senior population accounting for 47% of that increase and middle-aged adults 39%.
Quinte West is experiencing above-average increases in the 40 plus age category according to the 2016 census.
