Australia's first Indigenous-run facility dedicated to kidney health has hit a key milestone in Western Australia's far north.
The 10-bed Kimberley Renal Services (KRS) unit was established in Broome in 2002, after Aboriginal medical leader Dr Arnold "Puggy" Hunter advocated for Indigenous people to receive treatment on country.
Since then, the service has grown to include Kununurra, Fitzroy Crossing and Derby.
Kimberley woman Agnes Seela is the longest-running dialysis patient in Broome.
She remembers a time when the life-saving treatment was thousands of kilometres away.
"I was in Perth for a long time and it was really hard," she said.
"I didn't get to come home for my dad's funeral."
Ms Seela and her husband underwent dialysis together until he received a kidney transplant.
She said treatment in the Kimberley had lifted her spirits.
"I was really happy to start dialysis in Broome," she said.
"It makes it really easy to travel between Halls Creek, Ringer Soak and Broome."
An endemic problem
Rates of kidney disease in the Kimberley are among the highest in Australia, with the disease particularly prevalent in Aboriginal people.
A leading cause for the disease is diabetes, with most people living with it experiencing some level of kidney decline.
KRS Medical Director Lorraine Anderson said kidney issues were on the rise in the region.
"The need for dialysis is huge and it's getting bigger," she said.
Ms Anderson believed the services had changed the lives of many Kimberley patients.
"I imagine that when there was no dialysis available up here, instead of relocating to Perth a lot of people opted for palliative care," she said.
"Having specialised dialysis in Broome makes an enormous difference to people not having to move off country for treatment."
Community model highly effective
The facility operates under community controlled organisation, Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services (KAMS).
The Aboriginal-led service uses a cultural model to treat indigenous patients.
Medical experts flag potential kidney issues through blood and urine tests and monitor progress on a monthly basis.
The team includes a transplant coordinator, vascular and infection prevention experts and Aboriginal support staff.
The team focuses on prevention and slowing the progression of chronic kidney issues.
KAMS Business Manager Jessica Fong says the facility was a big step for social justice.
"The significance of the centre just shows the power of advocacy," she said.
"It's huge to be on country, see family and attend events."
Mobile service expanded reach
Services hit the road in 2014 when the dialysis bus was established.
The two-chair truck overcame harsh conditions along the Tanami Road to treat residents of remote communities.
"Giving people an opportunity to enjoy their life is what KRS is about," Ms Fong said.
165 patients are currently receiving care across the region and seven are on a waitlist.
The Fitzroy Crossing 20-bed renal hostel and dialysis unit opened in 2018, providing treatment to 16 local patients.
Ms Fong said patients living in remote areas still travelled hundreds of kilometres.
"We've got eight patients that commute to and from Broome three times a week," she said.
Ms Seela now resides in Broome and her grandchildren visit regularly, but she would like to see treatment available back in her home town.
"There's some people in Balgo, Ringer Soak and Mulan up in Kununurra all waiting," she said.
"I wish dialysis would grow to Halls Creek."
