Manitoba isn’t effectively managing dialysis services, Auditor-General says

Manitoba’s Auditor-General says the government is not effectively managing dialysis services, a critical treatment that is needed by a growing number of patients in the Prairie province.

Auditor-General Tyson Shtykalo, in an report published Thursday, said Manitoba is not funding or delivering the service in a clear, efficient or co-ordinated way. The audit examined dialysis services between April, 2022, and March, 2024.

One of the reasons the audit was undertaken is because Manitoba has the highest rate of end-stage kidney disease in Canada. Dialysis filters the blood to remove toxins, waste and excess fluids when the kidneys are not able to. It is the main treatment when a transplant is not available.