Premier Robert Ghiz has wisely stepped back from a decision to close hemodialysis treatment sites in Souris and Alberton.

It's not a full retreat from the initial announcement that provincial hemodialysis treatment would be consolidated in expanded facilities at hospitals in Charlottetown and Summerside. But the premier says he's postponing a final decision until health officials can "dialogue" with caregivers and dialysis patients who would be directly affected.

It's hard to imagine that consultation wouldn't have taken place before the announcement, but it's encouraging government is now willing to take a second look.

The issue is deadly serious. For those with kidney failure, hemodialysis is a life-saving procedure that cleanses the blood. But in order to do that, they must spend three to five hours a day, three days a week on a dialysis machine.

During public meetings in Souris and Alberton, hundreds of residents decried the planned closure of dialysis units in their areas. They argued that consolidating hemodialysis at the city hospitals would bring undue hardship - financial and emotional - to patients now being treated at the rural centres.

Some patients aren't strong enough to drive themselves home after dialysis, especially if it's an hour-plus drive. In the absence of provincewide public transit, that could leave them in a bind. And just finding a driver willing to invest a good part of his day in Charlottetown or Summerside while they wait several hours for the patient to complete the treatment - let alone the expense - could be a hurdle for some people on dialysis.

The nurses' union opposes the move. So does the Kidney Foundation of Canada, which is lobbying to reverse the decision. Executive director Tim Fox worries about the impact the closures will have on patients. " ... to have to travel a long distance, three times a week, potentially for the rest of your life, that's a big burden on kidney patients and on their families," he said.

It's not surprising the Opposition - led by MLAs in Souris and Tignish - are vehemently opposing the closure of the rural centres. But somewhat surprisingly, a government backbencher has become a champion in the house for Islanders who feel hard done by the closure decision.

Alberton-Montrose MLA Pat Murphy has been hearing from his constituents because one of the hemodialysis sites slated for closure is in his district. Over the past few weeks, he has pressed Health Minister Doug Currie to explain why the move is necessary and if the decision could be reversed. It was in response to a question from Murphy in the legislature last week that the premier announced he was postponing the decision pending further consultations.

That's exactly why Islanders elect MLAs, by the way - to represent their interests in the legislature. Just because they're backbenchers on the government side of the house doesn't mean they must blindly back every initiative regardless of its impact on constituents.

Murphy showed that even though he's not in the "inner circle" of government he can still influence decisions. Sometimes that can be done through quiet diplomacy and out of the media spotlight. But Islanders would be better served if other backbenchers more frequently functioned as critics of their own government, publicly raising matters of concern and pressing for change.

No one doubts that health-care growth and spending must be contained and that, to get there, some painful decisions are going to have to be made.

In announcing the postponement of the dialysis decision last week, Ghiz said his ultimate goal is to offer "the best possible care" to all Islanders.

It's not readily apparent how closing the dialysis units in rural areas and consolidating and expanding them in city hospitals will help meet that goal, and government hasn't done a good job of selling it to Islanders. If there are cost savings attached to the consolidation of dialysis services, we haven't been told what they are.

Clearly, government and Health P.E.I. have to do a lot better job of communicating their vision of health care in this province if they expect Islanders to buy in.

Springing an announcement on some of the most vulnerable among us is a very poor place to start.

Government can and must do better.

Wayne Young is an instructor in the journalism program at Holland College in Charlottetown.

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