Manitoba Renal Program (MRP) has a complete disaster management plan which includes procedures for all 20 dialysis centres throughout Manitoba.

While many of our facilities have never had to face any type of emergency or evacuation, there are some that have been affected in the past few years. It is not just a unit that can be impacted. Individual patients may have to evacuate their homes and, in turn, temporarily dialyze in another location. MRP units help ensure patients’ receive continued access to dialysis treatment at other centres.
 
In Manitoba some of the issues that may lead to evacuation include flooding, forest fires, water contamination, lack of water or hydro outages.

It is not always a disaster that can impact patient’s access to dialysis treatment. If a facility is having structural or electrical issues, that may also require us to temporarily relocate patients until necessary work is completed.

Staff should take steps to familiarize themselves with the MRP Disaster Management Plan.
Patients and caregivers can also think about how to be prepared in case of an emergency. BC Renal has some great resources for patients including this planning booklet that outlines basic considerations for hemodialysis patients in an emergency. These include tips for a hemodialysis patient specific stockpile or how to manage your diet in case your access to foods becomes limited due to an emergency or extreme weather.