Rudd announces funds for north coast NSW cancer centers

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDApr 16 2010

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had announced a regional cancer center in the mid-north coast on Tuesday at Port Macquarie. He says plans are underway to invest almost $5 million for a second linear accelerator at the Port Base Hospital.

There are plans to invest more than $17 million for the North Coast Institute Regional Cancer Service and this is a part of that fund. He said this fund will aid new equipment and facilities for Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Lismore. He said, “Our new national health and hospitals network has been so much shaped by the experience here in this area…Because what we want is better health and better hospital services for all Australians wherever they live not just the capital cities but in regional Australia as well…If you are in a rural community you are three times more likely to die within your first five years of diagnosis than if you are in a major metropolitan centre…That's not good enough for Australia in the 21st century, we've got to change that. Part of changing it means making sure we have this sort of equipment spread as far and wide as possible across regional Australia.”

In a new development health service unit of Lismore confirmed that the unit lacks space for the new high-tech PET scanner promised by the Prime Minister. According to North Coast Area Health Service chief executive Chris Crawford a whole radiation-proof unit will have to be constructed to house the scanner. The most likely location would be neighbouring the cancer unit in the car park of the new Richmond Clinic.

Now there are debates on whether Mr. Rudd’s benevolence will include the cost of the new structure. However according to Mr. Crawford, the health service would have to go to NSW Health for extra funding, not just for the new bunker, but also for the installation of it and the second radiotherapy unit, also announced on Tuesday, and for the running of both. He said, “It’s good to have the Prime Minister come up to announce it,” and this according to him will help the unit get more funds.