Weeneebayko General Hospital was proud to open its new Hemodialysis Clinic on December 9^th 2005.  This dialysis clinic is a satellite of Kingston General Hospital’s Renal Unit under the medical supervision of Dr. E.B. Toffelmire.

Hemodialysis is the process of taking the blood out of a person’s body, filtering out the body’s waste products and removing fluid by means of a dialysis machine, then returning the blood back to the person.  This is done because the person’s kidneys are no longer functioning as they should and do not remove enough wastes and fluid to keep the person healthy. 

The Weeneebayko Dialysis Clinic provides hemodialysis treatments to clients in the James Bay area. These clients are initially assessed in Kingston General Hospital and are transferred to Weeneebayko after they have been diagnosed to be stable to receive treatment at a satellite unit.  In the past, these clients would have had to relocate to more urban areas to receive this treatment.  This relocation would cause severe social isolation from their friends and families as well as financial burdens associated with the cost of travel.  As a result of the opening of the Clinic, these clients have been able to return to their home and cultural settings allowing them to lead a more traditional way of life.

The Weeneebayko Dialysis Clinic is staffed by one charge nurse under the supervision of the manager of ambulatory care, and three staff nurses.  The Clinic is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7 am till 7 pm. There are currently six dialysis stations which can be used to dialyze a total of 12 patients. 

The Weeneebayko Dialysis Clinic is located on the second floor of the hospital where the former maternity ward was located.  Many renovations have taken place to convert this existing wing to a dialysis clinic.  New Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment equipment was installed in the clinic.  Because water comes into direct contact with the person’s blood, this water treatment is necessary to prevent infections.  A patient and family waiting area, training room, technician work area, clean and dirty utility rooms, examination room and multipurpose office were also built into the unit.