Boundary Trails Health Centre will see a six-patient expansion of dialysis services.

The announcement was made Monday by the Provincial Government as part of a $5.2 million Manitoba-wide dialysis investment which will fund up to 72 additional patient spaces across Manitoba. In addition, the province will fund an additional 57 health-care professionals including nearly 30 nurses to support this expansion of dialysis services.

The additional dialysis spaces are expected to open in the coming months, including the six-patient expansion at Boundary Trails Health Centre.

"Our Progressive Conservative government is committed to providing Manitobans with the right care, in the right place, at the right time," Morden-Winkler MLA and Health Minister Cameron Friesen says. "This investment to expand dialysis services at Boundary Trails builds on that commitment and will deliver quality care right here in our community."

Hemodialysis uses a machine to remove blood from the body, clean it, then return it to the body. Peritoneal dialysis cycles a solution into and out of the stomach through a tube to collect and get rid of waste and fluid.

"Manitoba’s rates of kidney failure continue to rise," says Dr. Mauro Verrelli, Medical Director of the Manitoba Renal Program. "This addition of funding allows these local renal health centres to utilize existing infrastructure to meet a growing need for dialysis treatment across Manitoba. When possible, we want Manitobans to receive this vital treatment at home or as close to home as possible."

Approximately 14 percent of Manitobans live with kidney disease.