New renal unit and hospital redevelopment brings better outcomes for TI patients

An expanded renal service worth $1.25 million per year at the Thursday Island Hospital will deliver a significant boost to quality of life for kidney patients, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said today.

The Premier and Treasurer and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Curtis Pitt today met renal unit staff and patients during a tour of the Thursday Island Hospital. The unit will boost capacity by half and cater for nine patients.

“Relocation to Cairns for renal treatment is costly and causes tremendous upheaval to families,” the Premier said.

“Every extra place we can provide means a patient can stay on Thursday Island with their support network of family and friends.

“Our state starts at the Torres Strait and all Queenslanders deserve access to the medical treatment we can provide.”

Ms Palaszczuk congratulated staff on the milestone reached earlier this year of having an all–Indigenous nursing team running the hospital’s general ward.

”It’s inspirational for local young people to see local role models like this making a real difference,” she said.

The Premier and Treasurer were also briefed on the Master Plan for the Thursday Island Hospital redevelopment.

The development is part of Queensland Health’s 2016-17 capital program is valued at $1.4 billion and will underpin up to 1500 jobs, improving hospitals and clinics from the Torres Strait to the Darling Downs.

“This includes an $11.3 million allocation for infrastructure upgrades in the Torres Strait region,” the Premier said.

“This will allow for major refurbishments of the primary healthcare centres on Poruma (Coconut), Masig (Yorke), Ugar (Stephen) and Dauan islands, as well St Paul’s Community on Moa Island.

“In addition, the Thursday Island Hospital helipad will have major rectification work undertaken, along with major electrical system upgrades at 14 different health facilities in the region.

“A principal consultant and project manager for the primary health care centre refurbishments will be announced by late September or early October and they will begin developing plans and design options for the island works.

“Works at Poruma, Masig, Ugar, Dauan and St Paul’s community should get under in 2017 and take around 12 months.

“Work on the helipad and some of the electrical upgrades will start later this year and be completed by mid-2017.

“Taken together, these $11.3 million worth of infrastructure upgrades will support up to 45 jobs.

“These works are all part of our commitment to maintaining and improving health services in Queensland no matter where they are located.’’

Other recent initiatives on Thursday Island include a $9.1 million staff accommodation complex comprising 16 two-bedroom units and two three-bedroom houses and a $1.6 million asbestos containment project on the old hospital site.

“This record health funding is key to realising our vision of making Queenslanders among the healthiest people in the world by 2026,” the Treasurer said.

“As Treasurer as well as Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, I’m very conscious of the need to provide enough funding to ensure health facilities in the Torres Strait deliver services the people of this region require.”

The Premier said she also had very constructive conversations with the Torres Shire Council and the Torres Strait Island Regional Council about a range of challenges and opportunities in the region.

“It was great to catch up with Vonda and Fred and talk to them about how Government and Council can work together to provide better services in the Strait.

“We know that geography provides a specific set of challenges in this region, but there’s also a great deal of potential. We want to work together to meet those challenges and to unlock that potential.”