Meadow Lake Hospital is expanding to accommodate the region’s first hemodialysis unit to better serve the residents of northwestern Saskatchewan.

Prince Albert-based RNF Ventures Limited has been awarded a construction contract to build a new 3,101 square foot addition to the hospital’s second floor. It will house a six-station hemodialysis unit capable of treating up to 12 patients with severe kidney disease.

Construction is anticipated to begin this summer, with the new hemodialysis unit to open early next year.
The provincial government has allocated $2.4 million dollars towards the expansion. The Meadow Lake Tribal Council and Indigenous Services Canada have also partnered to provide a combined $1.05 million towards the project.

Hemodialysis is the most common treatment for advanced kidney failure. Blood is withdrawn from the body by a machine and passed through an artificial kidney called a dialyzer. Hemodialysis treatments normally take four to five hours and the majority of patients require three treatments a week.
Currently, the closest hemodialysis units to Meadow Lake are located in Lloydminster, North Battleford, Prince Albert and Saskatoon. Once operational, Meadow Lake Hospital will become the northernmost hemodialysis unit in the province.