Wentworth residents have called out hopes for a local dialysis machine to be included in hospital upgrade

Dialysis is a common treatment for those with kidney failure or disease, however Wentworth Health Service doesn't have a dialysis machine - prompting calls to Murray candidates to include dialysis in plans for the Wentworth Health Service.

The NSW Government recently announced the existing Wentworth Hospital site would be transformed to the tune of $30 million in order to to provide better health services and facilities for residents.

Currently, those in Wentworth who require hospital dialysis must travel to their nearest dialysis machines in Victoria, undergo COVID testing, before a five or six hour treatment - three times a week.

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Glenis Beaumont, the president of the Wentworth District Community Medical Centre Inc charity, has taken the helm on delivering dialysis, lobbying state politicians in a bid to secure the chairs.

"It really is time that NSW Health put in place basic local services to care for its people. It's not good enough that large rural communities like Deniliquin has a dialysis service only because it is provided by the Royal Melbourne Hospital," she said.

"As a community we believe that NSW residents should have access to this basic service in our own state."

She added that with diabetes and chronic renal disease rates rising, the need for local dialysis could be seen coming.

While home dialysis can be an option for some, she noted the requirements could be prohibitive with trained carers, specialist equipment and additional plumbing in the home.

Part of her efforts have included sending letters to relevant ministers, with 300 signatures from community members adding their voice to the cause.

"It's a basic service, not a specialist one ... We're not asking for brain surgery, we're asking for health services that are widely available."

"People in little towns are absolutely invisible."

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