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10. ARTIFICIAL KIDNEY MACHINES
Whilst the hospital authorities are responsible for providing and maintaining the
necessary equipment, local authorities are able to make arrangements for the adaptation
of premises. During the year adaptations were made for 3 cases. The council had
decided that its policy would be to make such charge as is reasonable, having regard to
the means of the person concerned.
The type of adaptation which is necessary in these cases consists of making the
walls and ceiling of the treatment room crack-proof and washable, and the floor waterproof.
A sink with a good supply of water must be installed and it is also necessary
to provide storage space for sterile dressings and containers of fluid. In some
instances, in order to accommodate these requirements and still leave space for a bed,
it is necessary to build an extension.
The limiting factor in the development of this service at present is not a shortage
of kidney machines but the need to provide the supporting hospital accommodation and
the recruitment and training of hospital medical, nursing and technical staff. The
Ministry has assured the Council that it is proceeding as rapidly as possible with
these arrangements.
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