THE Federal Government has confirmed a Regional Cancer Centre will open in Mount Gambier next financial year, which will deliver life-saving radiation therapy.
The release of the project timeline follows calls at a public meeting in Mount Gambier this week for expanded cancer treatment services, including radiation and prostate care nurse services.
Member for Barker Tony Pasin – who announced earlier this year that Mount Gambier was earmarked for the new centre – said the project remained on track.
He said the establishment of the service was subject to an “open tender process” starting in the new year.
“Our government is addressing the very real difficulty patients in regional communities face in accessing radiation therapy – therapy that could change their lives,” Mr Pasin said.
“Our commitment to radiation services in the Limestone Coast means we can help local patients to overcome these difficulties, so that patients and their families can focus on what matters – fighting and beating cancer.”
He said the government had also announced additional assistance for the Prostate Cancer Nurses Program, with new funding of $17.35m.
The funding will provide an additional 34 prostate cancer nurses from 2020-21 to 2022-23, resulting in 62 Commonwealth-funded nurses across Australia.
“I am advocating for the Limestone Coast to be included in this program,” Mr Pasin said yesterday.
His comments come on the heels of Mount Gambier community health advocate Maureen Klintberg calling for a greater share of federal funding to attract new services to the city.
The prominent resident was among community members who spoke at two Limestone Coast Local Health Network board public meetings in Mount Gambier on Monday.
Ms Klintberg – presiding member of the Mount Gambier Health Advisory Council (HAC) – said funding was needed to boost areas such as palliative care, radiation and prostate cancer services.
“I see a lot progress in Victoria in acquiring more infrastructure and accessing more federal funds,” Ms Klintberg said.
She said radiation services had been flagged as a possibility for Mount Gambier.
“I look at Dubbo, they have already accessed federal funding for their radiation centre,” Ms Klintberg said.
“How do we ensure that we get that piece of federal funding?”
Ms Klintberg said the HAC had written a letter to Mr Pasin requesting he explore funding for a prostate care nurse.
“We have breast care nurses, but no prostate care nurses. We have higher rates of prostate cancer in many areas than breast cancer,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ms Klintberg argued there also needed to be greater focus and collaboration on preventative health care.
In particular, she raised the affordability of doctor visit costs and associated tests, such as MRI and CT scans.
“Only, this week I heard of several patients recently – including one with cancer – who cannot afford to have an MRI,” Ms Klintberg said.
Limestone Coast Local Health Network chief executive officer Ngaire Buchanan said preventative health care was vital and was a priority area given the “worrying” primary health care statistics.
“Obesity rates are really high and our smoking rates are high even in pregnancy, which worries me. Mental health also impacts on the community,” Ms Buchanan said.
Limestone Coast Local Health Network board chair Grant King said it was important the region “lined its ducks up” when advocating for funding.
“If we are going to talk with federal or state governments around funding, then we must take a plan – we must do our homework,” Mr King said.
He said it was important not to take a problem to government, but the region needed to be galvanise behind a solution.
“We will not waste our time taking half-baked ideas to government,” Mr King told the meeting.
With the new network operational since July, Mr King said the new structure aimed to bring decision making back to the region.
While this decision making was in partnership with State Government, he said the board was “autonomous”.
He said the board was accountable to the minister in providing “safe and high quality care” with a focus on sustainability.
The board has taken over administrative and operational functions from the former Country Health SA Local Health Network.
Key strategic issues include the establishment of a community, consumer and carer engagement strategy, aged care and mental health planning as well as Aboriginal health strategic planning.
