November 22 witnessed the opening of a new renal unit at the Kaitaia Hospital. The opening of the unit would mean that haemodialysis patients would no longer have to travel all the way to the Bay of Islands Hospital and Whangarei Hospital for treatment.

The newly introduced unit would have a capacity to treat 12 patients and work for three days in a week. The unit is a reflection of an investment amounting to $1.6 million, made by the Northland District Health Board.

A Northland DHB Board Member, Sally Macauley stated that she was privileged to be present at the opening of the facility. Ms. Macauley further extended her congratulations to staff members of the facility and also expressed that the unit would contribute immensely to the needs of public.

The unit had remained a distant dream for kidney patients, who had to travel far and wide for dialysis. The new addition at the Kaitaia Hospital is part of the Board’s plan to provide Better, Sooner, More Convenient health care in the region.

While talking about the people, who would be able to make use of the facility, the operations manager for Kaitaia Hospital, Neta Smith stated that though the new facility would provide better services nearer to home for people residing in Far North, yet, she expressed that provided the low capacity, not everyone at Far North will be able to make use of the new addition.