MR John Mills, an active Nambucca Valley resident, business owner, and Lions Club member, feels very strongly about the funds that have been raised from the selling of the Old Macksville Hospital land.

“The 1.6 million should go towards equipping and beautifying the new Macksville Hospital.

“If the $1.65 million made from the sale of the old hospital was directed to equipment and improvements to the new building we could have a facility providing services comparable to a large provincial NSW hospital.”

Mr Mills said the land that the hospital was built on was land that was bequeathed by Macksville resident Harry Wall, who passed away in 1925.

Mr Wall bequeathed both money and land for the purposes of building a hospital at Macksville.

The old hospital was opened in 1958.

Local GP Dr Danny Ryan said this donation of money and land “started a tradition of the community, contributing enormously to Macksville Hospital over the years”.

“A good example of this is the contribution by the Nambucca Valley Cancer Support group of over $400,000 to the new hospital,” Dr Ryan said.

“The Hospital Auxiliary and other community groups have also contributed very generously to provide equipment that other hospitals may take for granted.

“In this sense the Local Health District owes this community a significant debt.”

The new hospital, costing $73 million to build, is missing equipment to ensure that it can service the community fully.

This $73 million, Dr Ryan told News Of The Area, was contributed by NSW Health.

According to Mr Mills, “What is of top priority as indicated by the local area medicos is a CT scanner.

“At the moment Nambucca Valley community members who need a CT Scan have to go to Coffs Harbour.

“This is putting increasing pressure on radiology facilities in Coffs Harbour, and it is not an easy transit for many to make.”

Dr Ryan agrees, “Currently all patients requiring CT scanning have to travel by ambulance or hospital transport to Coffs Harbour for CT scans.

“This causes delays in diagnosis, delays in treatment and delays in discharge.

“The patients, often sick and frail, are on an ambulance trolley for half a day while they wait for their scan, then wait for a report and transport back.

“This sometimes causes significant suffering.

“CT scanning has become an essential diagnostic tool.

“As clinicians, we believe that a CT scanner in Macksville would not only relieve suffering but be cost effective, with earlier diagnosis, treatment and earlier discharge.

“There would also be a huge saving in transport costs.

“Ambulances would not be tied up doing as many hospital transfers.

“Finally, the CT scanner would generate Medicare revenue for the hospital from outpatient referrals.”

Dr Ryan informed News Of The Area that Federal funding has recently been announced for a CT scanner for Macksville Hospital.

“We look forward to the Local Health District confirming that a CT scanner will definitely be coming to Macksville Hospital.”

Mr Mills believes the car park at the hospital is also in need of expanding, sharing his experiences of visiting people at 10am in the morning to find that the car park was full.

“Some of the money could be spent on upgrading and improving existing areas such as the car park which is badly needed, and landscaping the land around the building.”

“This would certainly be money well spent in local health.

“Hopefully our local members of both the State and Federal Government will give full support to the idea.”

 

By Rachel MCGREGOR-ALLEN