Sarina residents Rufus Zurvas (left) and John Hennegan regularly catch a bus to and from Mackay Base Hospital so they can receive kidney dialysis treatment.

EVERY week, several times a week, four Sarina residents make the half-hour trip to Mackay Base Hospital for crucial medical treatment.

They have to travel there and back by bus to receive kidney dialysis treatment as their lives depend on it.

Rufus Zurvas, is one of these patients who regularly catches a bus to the hospital.

"Every week I have to do this trip three times - on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays," Mr Zurvas said.

"I have to come to Mackay because they (Queensland Health) haven't got any (dialysis) chairs at Sarina (Hospital).

"We have to catch a bus because we can't drive home by ourselves."

The 69-year-old has been receiving the treatment for four years.

"I think it will be a lifetime thing," Mr Zurvas said.

"So I think we should have a few chairs at the Sarina Hospital.

"It would be handy for me as the hospital is in walking distance from my home," he said.

Mackay Health Service clinical services executive district director Dr David Farlow said no chairs would be placed at Sarina Hospital.

"A higher number of dialysis clients would be needed to make a Sarina service viable," Dr Farlow said.

"Dialysis requires more than a chair or a dialysis machine to treat a client.

"A specialist team of nursing, medical, allied health and technical/maintenance staff with relevant training and qualifications are required to run this type of service.

"The provision of nurse-assisted dialysis requires trained, specialised staff and access to a consistent number of patients over an extended period."

Dr Farlow said a sophisticated water filtration system was also required for the treatment.

"Home (self-care) dialysis training is available to all patients who want it and are deemed medically suitable to undertake it," he said.

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