The dream of a complete and modern cancer care facility at Kogarah is now in sight after many years of hard work and fundraising.
The extensive upgrading of the St George Hospital Cancer Care Centre is now underway.
The St George community will soon see a doubling in capacity of some cancer services, thanks to the $5 million redevelopment of the St George Hospital Cancer Care Centre.
NSW Minister for Health Brad Hazzard, joined by Oatley MP Mark Coure, toured the facility today as the final stage of works for the expansion of the Haematology Oncology Day Centre and Outpatient Clinic kicked off.
“The St George community will have world-class cancer services conveniently located right on the grounds of the St George Hospital,” Mr Coure said.
“This project is a wonderful example of the NSW Government working together with the Cancer Care Foundation to achieve an extremely positive outcome for our local community.
“The Foundation, with community support, has raised about $16 million over the past 22 years which has significantly contributed to the ongoing development of the Cancer Care Centre.”
Warren O’Rourke, chairman of the St George Hospital Cancer Care Centre Building Fund, said, “from the very beginning our committee has had a different focus from other fund raising bodies”.
“We wanted to leave a lasting legacy, one which would enhance patient care and their dignity at a time when cancer sufferers can be at their lowest,” Mr O’Rourke said.
“We are a bricks and mortar community based committee.”
When completed later this year the new Cancer Care Centre will be more than three times the size of the current facility and will include 18 chemotherapy chairs, two procedure chairs and 3 three bedrooms.
The final stage will cost $5 million and includes an atrium type construction which will link the Cancer Care Centre and the Pitney Building where many of the medical staff are housed, to provide all weather access for patients and medical staff.
The Outpatient Clinic will expand from nine to 16 consulting rooms. In addition, there will be three purpose-built review spaces, taking the number of outpatient clinic spaces to 19.
The redevelopment of the Cancer Care Centre will also include an atrium entry connecting the clinical trials research laboratories and cancer specialists in the Pitney Building of St George Hospital with the centre.
The Cancer Care Centre is due for completion in December 2018.
After 20 years of fundraising and close to $20 million raised, the committee can reflect on what can be achieved when government, medical staff, hospital administration and importantly the community, work together to achieve a collective vision for patient care, said Cancer Care Centre Building Fund public officer Phill Bates.