NORWICH – A relatively small population of patients traveling outside the county for kidney dialysis treatment makes the high cost of acquiring the life-saving equipment prohibitive for Chenango Memorial Hospital.

According to Chief Medical Officer Michael F. Trevisani, the Norwich-based hospital did an intensive review of a possible purchase about three years ago.

“We found the cost of setting up such a program prohibitive,” he said, adding that there hadn’t been any more recent discussion about it.

Dialysis is primarily used to provide an artificial replacement for lost kidney function in people with renal failure.

Currently, those who require regular treatments must travel to hospitals outside the county, in Cooperstown and elsewhere. But if they have to rely on public transportation, they may or may not be able to get there.

Chenango County First Transit is authorized by the Chenango County Department of Social Services to take only Medicaid patients to appointments outside the county. It doesn’t have the authority to cross county lines.