April 7, 2010
The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester and State Member for Morwell Russell Northe have welcomed a $23.5 million investment to improve and increase access to cancer treatment for local patients at the Gippsland Cancer Care Centre (GCCC) and Rotary Centenary House.
The plan will see $22 million spent on the expansion of the GCCC to provide an additional 414 radiation treatments and 8000 chemotherapy treatments per year.
A further $1.5 million will go towards the Stage Two expansion at Rotary Centenary House to construct nine family units for recovering cancer patients from right across Gippsland.
Mr Chester has been lobbying the Health Minister to provide funding to boost cancer treatment services at the GCCC and Rotary Centenary House for local patients. He said the $23.5 million investment will go a long way towards reducing the amount of local cancer patients who travel to Melbourne for treatment.
“The opening of the GCCC four years ago was a significant step forward in improving access to cancer treatment for Gippsland patients,” Mr Chester said.
“Local patients have shared with me their positive experiences as a result of being able to access such high quality care and treatment whilst remaining in their local community rather than travelling to Melbourne.”
Mr Chester said particular commendation should go to the committee of Rotary Centenary House and wider Latrobe Valley community who have worked tirelessly to fundraise for the facility.
“We are lucky to have such an outstanding asset in Latrobe Valley as Rotary Centenary House and I am pleased the Minister has recognised the outstanding and selfless efforts of the committee and local community in establishing the facility,” Mr Chester said.
Mr Northe paid tribute to the staff of both facilities who provide exceptional care and treatment for hundreds of patients from right across Gippsland each year.
“Being diagnosed with cancer has a huge impact on one’s family and friends and in regional areas particularly, it can affect the whole community,” Mr Northe said.
“It is a credit to the GCCC and Centenary House that the services being delivered to local patients has driven a significant demand to expand both facilities.
“I’m sure the expansion of both facilities will go a long way towards making sure more Gippslanders have local access to high quality care and cancer treatment.”