The
public hospital system in the NSW Northern Rivers region has been attempting to
deal with state and federal health funding cuts by Coalition governments for years now (including est.$730 million over ten years from the Northern NSW Local Hospital District) and the strain is beginning to show.
So it’s
only natural that a good many regional voters look back fondly on the hard work
then Labor MP for Page Janelle
Saffin put in to securing health funding between 2007 to 2013.
This
effort on the electorate’s behalf included:
$4
million for a community health centre in Yamba
$20
million for the upgrade of Grafton Base Hospital and 114,000 for new equipment
for the Emergency Department
$487,000
to refurbish 10 student nurse accommodation rooms at Grafton Base Hospital
Federal
grant to establish the Grafton Super Clinic
$60.25
million to redevelop Lismore Base Hospital, including new emergency
department, an express community care clinic and a new renal dialysis unit
$7
million on top of the $8 million already committed for Lismore Base Hospital
radiology services
Magnetic
resonance Imaging (MRI) services for Lismore Base Hospital and North Coast
radiology’s Clarence Valley Imaging in Grafton
$15
million to fast track the Lismore Integrated Cancer Centre
$2.7
million for a second linear accelerator at the Lismore Base Hospital
Integrated Cancer Centre, providing cancer treatment for an extra 30 patients
a day
$7
million for Lismore GP Super Clinic
$2.6
million for Our House Cancer Patient Accommodation in Lismore
for cancer patients and families -150 construction jobs
$2.53
million to St Vincent’s Private Hospital Lismore for two new operation
theatres, $884,414for state-of-the-art teaching centre and
$157,000 to purchase equipment to develop aUrological Centre of
Excellence
$7.9
million to establish the University of Western Sydney's new Rural Clinical
School in Lismore and Bathurst
$407,000
to expand McKid Medical Private General Practice in Kyogle under the Primary
Care Infrastructure Grants Program and $295,455 to upgrade the Urbenville
Medical Centre
$9.22
million to North Coast Medicare Local to establish its headquarters in
Ballina and for operational funding
$1.45
million investment in dental funding for the Northern Rivers, announced
this year as part of the Commonwealth Dental Health Program
Five new
GP registrars to train in Lismore, Goonellabah, Ballina and Alstonville
and four specialist doctors in Lismore area
$1.6million
to Interrelate to boost mental health services in Ballina and Kyogle
shires and the Richmond Valley
$640,000
to Local HACC services Home and Community Care Program funding
$1.45
million investment in dental funding for the Northern Rivers announced in
2013 as part of the Commonwealth Dental Health Program
Five new
GP registrars to train in Lismore, Goonellabah, Ballina and Alstonville
and four specialist doctors in Lismore area
$1.6million
to Interrelate to boost mental health services in Ballina and Kyogle
shires and the Richmond Valley
$700,000
to Clarence Valley Council under the Healthy Communities Initiative
to combat obesity
A total
of $522,000 to Bulgarr Ngaru Aboriginal Medical Service to expand its
health service with new premises and practice manager
$1.9
million for local crisis intervention services.
A list of
funding for a range of services within the Page electorate between August 2010 and
September 2013:
