First Nations people in isolated areas of the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia will be able to stay on Country to receive treatment for end-stage kidney disease after more dialysis units were confirmed for seven remote communities.
The new grant opportunity will make additional dialysis units available in the Northern Territory communities of Alekarenge (Ali Curung), Galiwin'ku, Maningrida and Yuendumu, Western Australian communities of Jigalong and Warburton and the Queensland community of Normanton.
Chosen based on the number of people requiring dialysis, the distance to existing services and strong community support for a local service, the $18.58 million investment is funded by the third round of the federal government's Better Renal Services for First Nations Peoples (BRSFNP) program.
Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health, Ged Kearney, said the Better Renal Services program is about increasing access to culturally safe, lifesaving dialysis treatment for First Nations communities in remote regions.
"First Nations people are twice as likely to suffer from chronic kidney disease. Keeping people at home, on Country and connected to family and friends means they're more likely to maintain the treatment and stay well for longer," Minister Kearney said.
"Dialysis treatment is an intensive process, with patients often needing multiple treatments per week.
"These dialysis units will save families the additional burden of having to relocate, or regularly commute hundreds of kilometres to receive care."
First Nations people in remote areas often travel hundreds of kilometres to access dialysis, making treatment difficult to maintain which results in poor health outcomes.
The government said providing dialysis treatment on Country increases the likelihood of regular treatment, continued support and care from families and better management of health and wellbeing.
The investment comes as part of the federal government's $73.2 million program to provide improved renal services for First Nations peoples, who are almost four times more likely than non-Indigenous peoples to die from chronic kidney disease.
In combination with BRSFNP funding, the federal government's investment in improved water security in these communities through the National Water Grid Fund ensures good quality water is available to use for dialysis treatment.
A dialysis patient can require between 300 and 600 litres of water in an average week.
The first dialysis units funded by the initiative officially opened in Coober Pedy earlier this year, with several patients already able to move home from regional hubs in South Australia.
Other units are also being established in Yatala in South Australia, Balgo, Tom Price and Wiluna in Western Australia, Badu Island in Queensland and Atitjere, Borroloola and Ti-Tree in the Northern Territory.
