THE upgraded haemodialysis unit at the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) in St James is expected to be up and running by September, according to Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson.

The $38-million project is being funded by the National Health Fund (NHF). The contract for the works was signed almost a year ago.

Dr Ferguson, who toured the hospital last Friday, said the facility is “at a stage of practical completion” and all that is left is the installation of equipment and furniture, which should happen before September.

He was optimistic that the unit, when completed, will allow for the creation of additional beds to increase the hospital’s overall bed count.

The haemodialysis unit is located on the hospital’s second floor in space previously occupied by the Cornwall School of Nursing. It has benefited from expansion over the years to meet the increased demand for dialysis service, due to the rise in the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes among Jamaicans.

The unit has moved from five treatment stations in 1998, to 18 in 2013. The newly expanded facility will house some 27 dialysis stations, and will increase the treatment capacity from 123 on two shifts to 325 dialysis episodes for patients each week.