Diabetes Centre & Home Dialysis Training future uncertain

March 2, 2012

Diabetes Centre & Home Dialysis Training Building - future uncertain

The future of another Canterbury District Health Board building is uncertain after engineers highlighted a wide range of strengthening and repairs required at the Diabetes & Home Dialysis Training Centre.

Canterbury District Health Board chief executive, David Meates, met with staff at the Diabetes & Home Dialysis Training Centre in Hagley Avenue yesterday (March 1, 2012) to discuss the latest engineering advice received about the building.

Mr Meates says that despite carrying out significant repairs after the February 22, the facility had sustained further damage in the ongoing quakes and aftershocks.

The CDHB has received an engineer’s report recommending a wide range of strengthening and repairs, he says.

“There are a number of issues with the building. The main problem is the foundations, which have caused the building to drop at one end. There are also issues identified with beams, walls and some of the reinforcing steel, that is starting to become inflexible,” Mr Meates says.

“The cost of repairs may well make it uneconomical to fix. The external engineers have assessed the building as meeting less than 33 percent of the new building standard.”

This result is mainly because of the post-earthquake assessment of the foundations against current standards.

“At 33 percent it is considered technically earthquake-prone. However, we are advised that the building is not considered an immediate risk and this will allow for a phased move out of the buildings as new locations are found for the various services,” Mr Meates says.

“Please note that any CDHB building that has been identified as being an immediate risk is closed immediately.”

The Diabetes Centre & Home Dialysis Training Centre houses a range of services including home dialysis training. Part of the ground floor of the building is occupied by Diabetes Christchurch where they have a retail outlet.

“Until alternative locations are found, all services will continue to be provided at the Home Dialysis Training and Diabetes Centre. As services relocate we will advise the public and patients of the changes,” Mr Meates says.

Manager of the Diabetes Centre, Kit Hoeben says any patient with questions should phone the Diabetes Centre for advice.

Background information

What services are based at the Diabetes Centre & Home Dialysis Training Centre?

The Diabetes Centre caters for people with diabetes aged over the age of 15 years. They offer:
• Individual appointments with a range of health professionals with specialised knowledge in the management of diabetes.
• On-going specialist follow-up of people with Type 1 diabetes and complicated Type 2 diabetes.
• Group education for people with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes, those with Type 2 diabetes moving onto insulin therapy and for those with Type 1 diabetes on an intensive insulin regime or going to start insulin pump therapy.
• Participation in research programmes studying causes of and new treatments for diabetes.

The Home Dialysis Training Centre provides a training and support service for people living in Kaikoura in the north to Waimate in the south and for those living on the West Coast.
• On any given day around six people take part in training so they can learn to carry out dialysis in their own home.
• The Home Dialysis Training Centre supports over a hundred people on home dialysis at any given time.

ENDS

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