‘Education is the key, prevention is the weapon’
To the Expositor:
I read with great interest on your article about increasing awareness of kidney disease on the Island (‘Wikwemikong plans case for local dialysis unit,’ January 15, page 1). Unfortunately, I was a dialysis patient in Little Current for over a year and have a fairly good knowledge about dialysis.
I agree that anything that can be done to educate people about kidney disease is extremely important as it is a “silent” disease until it may be too late.
We are very fortunate to have an excellent dialysis unit in Little Current with a great professional trained staff, current equipment and an environment that makes dialysis a bit more bearable.
I do think, though, that trying to get a second unit built so close to the one at Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC) could be detrimental. MHC is accessible to everyone from the Island and some people have to spend up to two hours just getting there but they accept that. The enormous expense of developing a second unit and maintaining staff and equipment would not make sense when there is a great unit close by. Both units would suffer.
Education is the key, prevention is the weapon.
Gerry Mack
Lake Kagawong
