A raft of announcements have been made in Cooma this week around health care in the South East.
Minister for Regional Health and Women, Bronnie Taylor, and Member for Monaro, Nichole Overall, joined local health workers on Monday (February 28) to officially open the new Maternity Department at Cooma Hospital.
The completion of the new maternity department brings the $24 million Cooma Hospital Redevelopment one step closer to completion.
Mrs Taylor said the opening of the new maternity department at Cooma Hospital is about ensuring mums, and their new babies can access the health care they need, closer to home.
“As a Registered Nurse who spent most of my career working here at Cooma Hospital, today is such an exciting day for our community, and I am so thrilled to see the new maternity unit and emergency department now complete,” Mrs Taylor said.
“The new maternity unit boasts high-quality, modern facilities in well-equipped rooms, filled with natural light. One of the two new birthing rooms includes a new birthing bath which will provide women with more choice during the delivery of their baby.”
Mrs Overall said the new maternity unit is another example of a top class maternity facility in the Monaro region for the communities this hospital provides essential services to.
“The location of the department has improved connections with other departments in the hospital including the emergency department and operating theatres, ensuring our excellent maternity staff here in Cooma can continue to provide outstanding care for new parents and their families,” Mrs Overall said.
“This comes in addition to the recently opened Emergency Department, new $700,000 CT scanner and the lifesaving Telestroke Service.”
Work to deliver a refurbished new ambulatory care centre including refurbishment of the pathology service and an expansion of the medical imaging department is also underway and expected to be completed later this year.
The first sod was also turned on the new worker accommodation at Cooma Hospital which will be made up of 12 new purpose-built accommodation units to be built next to the hospital.
Mrs Taylor said the units will be built to deliver more modern, sustainable accommodation for health workers across the region.
“These new accommodation units will be crucial in helping to attract doctors and other healthcare workers to our region,” Mrs Taylor said.
Mrs Overall said it was great to see work begin on the project which will ensure the region continues to have access to high quality healthcare.
“These units will provide safe and convenient accommodation to ensure our health workers have access to contemporary, home-like facilities that meet their specific needs,” Mrs Overall said.
“This means we will soon be even better placed to attract more health workers to our region, as well as ensure there is accommodation available for locums, student placements and other visiting medical and nursing staff.”
Meanwhile, the pair also announced a new purpose-built ambulance station for Jyndabyne that will replace the existing station at Thredbo Terrace enhancing emergency healthcare for the Jindabyne community as part of the $232 million Rural Ambulance Infrastructure Reconfiguration Program..
The new Jindabyne station will feature six internal parking bays, including a wash bay, administration and office areas, staff amenities to assist with staff rest and wellbeing, staff parking, as well as logistics and storage areas.
Member for Monaro Nichole Overall said the new station will make a huge difference for the local community.
“The Snowy Mountains is a growing area that sees the population increase significantly jump through the winter, so the new station will drastically improve the working environment for our paramedics,” Mrs Overall said.
“It will be a modern, fit for purpose facility and will deliver first-class emergency care for the region, including when the emergency response capability is enhanced to support the snowfield operations.”
Images: Nichole Overall MP
