Spokesperson for the group, Lee Goreham-Smith, made the presentation before a packed council chamber expressing the concerns of the Dialysis Support Group.

“For the past two and a half years, I have witnessed first-hand the emotional, physical and financial demands which are placed on dialysis patients from this municipality,” said Goreham-Smith.

She said travelling for two hours three times a week for four-hour dialysis sessions is too much for already health-compromised citizens.

“I cannot begin to imagine the huge burden that this creates when one has to spend two hours of the day, three times per week driving for a four hour treatment in order to remain alive for the other four days of the week,” she said. 

She said dialysis needs are increasing by seven percent each year in Nova Scotia.

Her experience with dialysis is quite personal as her husband is one of the many dialysis patients in the Barrington area.

He had to leave home during a storm to travel to the closest dialysis unit in Yarmouth at 3:30 a.m. to make his 7 a.m. appointment.  Shortly after leaving in the whiteout conditions, he ran into a snow bank.

Last year he accidently drove the wrong way up the exit in Tusket nearly getting into a head-on collision.

“These are just two examples,” said Goreham-Smith.  “I am sure that the other dialysis patients have their own stories of danger.  Having needs of the Barrington Municipality ignored by the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness is totally unacceptable.”

She asked council to “aggressively lobby” to the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness to include a satellite dialysis clinic in their Nova Scotia Capital Budget for the 2015-16 year.

She will also be collecting any letters of support to deliver to the Department of Health and Premier Stephen McNeil.

MLA for Argyle-Barrington, Chris d’Entremont said with a large health clinic space already existing in Barrington Passage, opportunities exist for a solution.

“A competent government would utilize the space in Barrington Passage,” he said.

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