By MAGGIE ANDERSON
Staff Writer
According to the ballot overview issued this year in 2020, Proposition 23 would establish state requirements for kidney dialysis clinics to have medical professionals on site or they will close down the clinics that are not “properly staffed”. However, each dialysis patient already has their own kidney doctor. And dialysis treatments are administered by specially-trained dialysis nurses and technicians. Three times each and every week, 80,000 Californians with End Stage Renal Disease (meaning their kidneys would fail causing fatal issues within weeks without dialysis) go to one or more 600 commercial dialysis centers in the state where they spend 3-4 hours connected to a machine that removes their blood, cleans it, and returns it to their body. Dialysis is literally what keeps them alive and they must continue the treatment the rest of their lives or until a kidney transplant is available. Prop 23 does not add value to the current dialysis system, it only adds additional cost, which makes it unaffordable for those in need. My family and I have personal experience and knowledge that specially trained Renal technicians and nurses are on site at all times because my grandma went through dialysis the last few years of her life, and we would sometimes encounter these professionals. With that being said, there would be no benefits from having more doctors on site. Here’s why. As is, we already have a shortage of doctors/nurses, so why take them away from hospitals and practices where they are actually needed. The people on site at these commercial dialysis centers do this day in and day out, they are specially trained, it would make no sense to have a general doctor on site, as these aren’t typical, general doctors appointments. Also, at these centers if someone has issues they are able to transport them to a nearby hospital either via van or via ambulance. Taking doctors, who aren’t specialized in this field, away from general practices/hospitals is also taking away available resources to the community. If you are reading this and can vote, I strongly encourage you to vote no on Prop 23!