A PUSH to establish a renal dialysis unit at Milton Ulladulla Hospital has started, with the hospital’s auxiliary launching a campaign to raise funds for a kidney health centre.
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With chronic kidney disease linked to one in 10 Australian deaths, the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District has included a kidney dialysis unit in Milton Ulladulla Hospital’s health care services plan.
But while the health service continues to look into the centre’s feasibility, auxiliary members are on the fundraising trail in the effort to speed up the process.
The fundraising effort begins next week when local residents are offered the chance to win a new car in a raffle with only 200 tickets, and then moves up a gear on November 30 when the hospital auxiliary stages a gala night at the Milton Ulladulla ExServos Club.
The car raffle is offering a five-door Holden Barina Spark manual hatchback, valued at $15,990.
Only 200 tickets are available at a cost of $100 each, and are expected to be snapped up quickly.
The winning ticket will be drawn during the gala night, when there will also be live entertainment, auctions, fun and games, along with the great food for which the ExServos is renowned.
Tickets for the formal night cost $70 and will be available from the club from Tuesday, October 1.
The night is expected to provide a big push for local efforts to establish at the Milton Ulladulla Hospital a renal dialysis unit capable to dialyse 24 people a week, while also including clinics and outpatient support for people dialysing at home, along with others living with chronic kidney disease.
A local dialysis unit will stop patients being forced to drive to and from Nowra to dialyse, with the potential to deepen the depression that often grips people undergoing dialysis.
Others are transported from the Ulladulla region to Nowra in ambulances, potentially taking the vehicles away from emergencies.
Figures from Kidney Health Australia show chronic kidney disease is running rampant in Australia, with one in 10 Australians aged over 18 having indicators of chronic kidney disease.
It affects one on seven adults to some degree, while indigenous Australians have six times the rate of chronic kidney disease compared to the rest of the community.
It kills more Australians each year that breast cancer, prostate cancer and even road traffic accidents.
