ASHTABULA COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) – Dialysis patients across Northeast Ohio are having trouble getting to their appointments.
Piles of snow make movement difficult and almost impossible to dig out without some help.
If these patients do not receive treatment, they may end up in the hospital.
In this country, the biggest barrier to dialysis treatment is transportation.
Kelly Dowling, executive director of the Kidney Foundation of Ohio, told 19 News there are more than 300 dialysis patients in Ashtabula County alone.
The snow has left many people stranded at home with no means of receiving medical treatment.
If treatment is left untreated, there is a very high possibility that the patient will be hospitalized, in which case an ambulance or hospitalization will be required. Additionally, it can be very costly for patients.
Mr Dowling says patients receiving regular dialysis do not have the strength to scramble out of their homes and doing so can lead to further harm.
“We are aware that some units in Ashtabula today are not at full capacity,” Dowling said. “Their patients can't get through it.”
Dowling and the Foundation go into action, even hiring snowplow drivers to remove them.
“We're getting snow removal systems from other counties and we're bringing them in and trying to get the driveways cleared in time for treatment,” she said.
Here are resources on how to lend a helping hand:
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