News

MBH Oncology Ward reopens after upgrade

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 13:08:00

Mildura Base Hospital’s upgraded and expanded cancer treatment facility is taking its first patients.

The MBH Oncology Department has been undergoing a half million dollar upgrade that will allow more patients to receive treatment in Mildura.
The work has tripled the size of the Oncology Department, and doubled the number of chemotherapy chairs to eight.
Mildura Base Hospital’s chief executive officer Dane Huxley said he was thrilled the work was completed ahead of time and on budget.
“The real plus of this expansion is that it means more people can have their treatment locally,” Mr Huxley said.
“We service an area population of 60,000 people who are hundreds of kilometres from the nearest tertiary health facilities in Bendigo, Adelaide and Melbourne,” he said.
“The incidence rate of cancer is higher in Mildura than Victoria in general and it is increasing due to the ageing population, a higher Aboriginal population, Mildura’s remoteness and the higher smoking rates here.”
The Victorian Cancer Registry estimates there are 3000 cancer patients in Mildura, with 300 new cases diagnosed each year.  It says chemotherapy treatments for Mildura patients are also typically more complex and have a longer average length of treatment.
The Oncology Unit Manager Lynn Pike said the completion of the work was a welcome step forward for patients and staff.
“It will be a much more pleasant and professional environment for all of us, but particularly it will make a huge difference for patients,” Ms Pike said.
“It’s not only the stress and inconvenience that patients experience with organising and travelling for treatment at other centres,” she said.
“We just know patients handle their treatment better and respond more positively if they are in a familiar environment, in their own home and with their support people close to them.”
Mr Huxley said the expansion was in line with the “Victorian Health Priorities Framework 2012-2022: Rural and Regional Health Plan”, which requires healthcare to be patient and knowledge-focussed, and for services to be population-centred and delivered in a timely and appropriate way.
The Oncology project is jointly-funded by the Victorian Government and Ramsay Health Care, with the State Government contributing $430,000 and Ramsay Health Care making an additional contribution of $50,000.