Sask. woman can't access dialysis treatment close to home because clinic is just across Man. border
There's a dialysis clinic 20 minutes from Maureen McBratney's home, but she's not allowed to go there
Maureen McBratney nearly died from extreme kidney failure earlier this year, but doctors and nurses were able to save her life.
Now she's doing well and should remain stable, so long as she gets life-saving dialysis treatment every other day.
McBratney wants to make the most of her time with her family, including her only grandson and her dogs, Bandit and Smokey, at home in Denare Beach, Sask.
But she can't do that. Instead, she's stuck living six hours from home in Saskatoon, trapped in a situation that she says defies common sense.
"It's heartbreaking. It's emotionally draining," she said.
There's a hemodialysis clinic about 20 minutes from her home, just across the provincial border at the hospital in the border-town of Flin Flon, Man. But she's been told that she can't become a regular dialysis patient there unless she becomes a resident of Manitoba and obtains a Manitoba health card.
McBratney, a long-time resident in the border community, said she has received ongoing care at that hospital her entire life.
"I was born there. My kids were born there. My doctor is in that hospital. My blood work, my X-rays, everything, that's where I go."
Her husband Greg, who has been living with Maureen in Saskatoon, describes the situation as a "bureaucratic mess."
Day trips aren't feasible for Maureen, 63, and Greg, 70, because the dialysis treatment takes about 4.5 hours and Saskatoon is more than a 600 km drive from their home.
The McBratneys said officials in Saskatchewan have been sympathetic to their predicament.
"I'm really hoping that somebody in Manitoba sees and hears this and makes a change," Maureen said.
Manitoba cites licensing restrictions
A spokesperson for Manitoba's provincial health authority said that current regulations, including professional licensing restrictions for physicians and staff, govern how and when provincial health care can be delivered to patients living in another province.
"While current regulations do not allow for Creighton residents to access ongoing dialysis care in Flin Flon, efforts are underway to explore future opportunities for collaboration with our Saskatchewan counterparts."
A spokesperson for the Saskatchewan Health Authority said there is a reciprocal billing process in place between all provinces and territories for patients who require out-of-province care, meaning Saskatchewan could cover the cost if Manitoba treated McBratney.
"Each province may use its discretion when accepting the ongoing care of out-of-province patients who require hemodialysis services. Saskatchewan and Manitoba have a separate agreement in place for patient access to the Flin Flon Hospital once Manitoba admits them to the program."
They said talks are ongoing with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health, Manitoba Northern Regional Health Authority and Manitoba's Renal Program about Saskatchewan residents accessing hemodialysis care at the Flin Flon General Hospital.
The McBratneys are relieved that conversations are underway and say they understand there are processes that need to be followed, but they don't understand why they can't go home in the meantime while a potential solution is sorted out.
"I'm begging them, fix this now. Give us some kind of interim [approval] to go back home until you get us a solution to it," Greg said.
"We'll sign documents, we'll do whatever is necessary to just get me home, to get home and be part of the solution to this cross-border issue, which does not exist with Alberta. It exists only with Manitoba."
Saskatchewan residents living in the border-town of Lloyminister can access a shared hemodialysis unit, which is managed by the Northern Alberta Renal Program.
The McBratneys said they spent weeks advocating for some sort of solution, or even a temporary arrangement that would allow McBratney to go home for a while. They started speaking out publicly once they lost hope that a timely solution would come.
Maureen said the family has received an outpouring of support from community members and health-care workers on both sides of the border. They remain optimistic that change is possible, and noted that Flin Flon MLA Tom Lindsey has been advocating for them.
While the support has kept them hopeful, what they need is action.
Maureen wants to embrace her second chance at life, spending time with loved ones, planning community events like the annual fall supper and attending junior hockey games.
Instead, she's missing out on community events and important family milestones, including her grandson's first day of kindergarten.
She video-calls him regularly, but said it's not the same and it's frustrating at times because she doesn't have an answer for him when he asks his Grandma when she's coming home.
"Soon, I hope," she tells him.
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