Working together with Lions Australia, local Lions groups donated $7,400 towards two new dialysis chairs at the Health Service.

The current dialysis unit is operating in the theatre unit of the Health Service with very limited space. Due to the growing demand for dialysis treatment, the Health Service is going through a large-scale re-structure of its clinical treatment areas.

Dialysis will be moving to where chemotherapy was previously. This will allow for at least nine dialysis chairs. Chemotherapy will be moving to where the physiotherapy department is, and then physiotherapy will be moved down to the Community Health Centre for better accessibility.

The whole re-structure and move of departments will assist with the growing demand of dialysis treatment in the community.

The high levels of lifestyle related illnesses, chronic disease, and obesity in the community needs urgent attention. By better integration and sensible structures within the Health Service, the Health Service can deliver a more efficient service to the community.

Lions Club of Ararat president Norm Tosch played an instrumental role in pulling all the Lions groups together in the region to help make a significant donation towards the dialysis unit at the Health Service.

"I was first approached by Lion Max Howden of the Lions Club of Stawell, who is also a patient at the East Grampians Health Service Dialysis Unit, to help provide new chairs in the unit," he said.

"The EGHS Dialysis Unit covers areas that include all clubs in Zone 9 with the potential to have many members of their communities requiring the service. We then decided to make it a Zone project with Lions Clubs of Lake Bolac, Willaura, Skipton, Stawell and Ararat all contributing funds, which was then matched by a grant from Australian Lions Foundation.

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