9/10/07
The $6.8million upgrade of Kununurra Hospital will provide residents and visitors to the rapidly growing town with ready access to modern health facilities.
In Kununurra today to officially open the upgrade, Premier Alan Carpenter said it was part of more than $100million the State Government had committed to rebuild or upgrade every existing hospital in the Kimberley region.
The Kununurra Hospital upgrade includes six extra acute care beds and a new public dental clinic.
"The acute care ward has increased from 26 to 32 beds with a new four-bed room and two single rooms with ensuite facilities," Mr Carpenter said.
"The upgrade also includes three additional consulting rooms in the outpatient department to cater for GP and specialist appointments, including cardiology, ophthalmology, gynaecology and ear, nose and throat appointments."
The Premier said a new primary health building housing a two-chair dental clinic would provide a full-time public dental service in Kununurra for the first time.
"Public dental services have historically been provided by local private practitioners, however, with the recent recruitment of a new overseas dentist, a full-time public service can now be offered," he said.
"The service will provide about 1,200 patient visits a year and will commence when the new dentist moves to town at the end of December.
"The building has been designed to allow for the expansion of the dental clinic or the addition of other primary health services in the future."
The upgrade also includes:
- a new triage area in the 24-hour Emergency Department (ED);
- a new assessment area in the ED, improving patient privacy;
- an acute care room that can be used to isolate patients from the rest of the hospital;
- a new patient lounge;
- a new laundry facility that will service both Kununurra and Wyndham Health Services;
- a new medical records storage area;
- a new maintenance department servicing the entire East Kimberley region, and
- a new stores area, housing medical supplies for the East Kimberley.
The Premier said the redevelopment reflected the town's increasing importance to the East Kimberley.
"The rapid growth of Kununurra has seen it become the largest town in the East Kimberley, so the Kununurra Health Service plays a major role in providing health care to the region," he said.
"As well as managing most of the East Kimberley's acute patients, the Kununurra Health Service provides outreach programs and remote clinics, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech pathology, to towns such as Halls Creek and Wyndham and Aboriginal communities such as Warmun, Kalumburu Oombulgurri and the Kutjungka region.
"It provides 24-hour emergency care, elective surgery and paediatric and maternity care along with its two labour delivery rooms."
Mr Carpenter said the total capital works funding commitment of more than $100million for the upgrade of health facilities and staff accommodation within the Kimberley region included:
- $42million on major upgrades to Broome Hospital, which would see it become the regional resource centre for the Kimberley; and
- a $14.38million upgrade to Derby Hospital and Dental Service completed in September;
- $15.71million for a new hospital at Fitzroy Crossing, for which work is currently underway;
- a new $8.7million hospital at Halls Creek which opened last year; and
- $4.5million to refurbish Wyndham Hospital.
"We are committed to providing first-class health care to all Western Australians across the State," Mr Carpenter said.
Premier's office - 9222 9475
