Health Infrastructure (HI) expects Dubbo Hospital’s integrated cancer centre will be built by 2020 after which “commissioning, testing and training” will take precedence.
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Chief executive Sam Sangster provided some insight into when the first patient will be treated at the centre after NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian pledged $10 million to the project dubbed the “final frontier” by state Member for Dubbo Troy Grant.
Ms Berejiklian made the announcement outside the hospital’s existing and detached oncology unit on Friday morning.
She said the $10 million when combined with the federal government’s “$25 million commitment” would deliver the new facility.
The cancer centre will be connected to the four-storey building set to be built under stage four redevelopment of the hospital.
“It means patients ...won’t be so remote from the actual main hospital and I’m really pleased to be able to do that,” Ms Berejiklian said.
The premier also was glad that people from “far-flung” places in Western NSW would have access to “world-class” cancer treatment in Dubbo.
“I’m proud we are able to deliver this comprehensive care for regional NSW, on top of the $241 million already committed by the government to upgrade Dubbo Hospital,” she said.
The cancer centre will include a PET CT scanner for diagnostics, a bunker for radiation therapy, 16 chemotherapy treatment spaces and a “master planned area to future proof the space for a second radiation therapy bunker”.
Ms Berejiklian toured the clinical services building constructed under the $91.3 million stage one and two redevelopment before she made note of the 72-metre crane helping put a third storey on it.
“It’s great to see huge cranes in regional NSW, especially here in Dubbo,” she said.
Mr Sangster said the third storey, being built under stage three redevelopment, was “well under way”. He said the four-storey building would be constructed under stage four, as would the cancer centre. “It will all be integrated and look seamless,” Mr Sangster said.
The chief executive was coy about when the first sod might be turned on the cancer centre and when its doors would open to patients.
“Construction will be finished in 2020 and then there’s commissioning and testing and training,” he said.