Moree patients can now connect to any specialist at any hospital without having to travel hundreds of kilometres thanks to two generous donations to Moree Hospital.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Moree Cancer Support Group and local woman Sophie O’Neill each donated more than $10,000 to go towards the purchase of a telehealth videoconferencing unit, as well as the refurbishment of the room in which the equipment is housed.
The telehealth videoconferencing unit allows cancer patients to have an appointment with oncologist, Dr George, prior to receiving chemotherapy treatment.
Moree outreach chemotherapy and infusion service nurse-in-charge Jenny Bingham said when patients have chemo elsewhere, they would see a doctor beforehand, but since there is no oncologist based in Moree, local patients would have the treatment without a prior consultation, or over the phone. Otherwise, they’d be forced to travel.
READ ALSO:
“This equipment and the access to the oncologist is fantastic,” she said.
“People want to see who they’re talking to when they’re unwell.
“It’s also good for GPs – if someone presents that is unwell, the GP and the patient can liaise with the oncologist if they need back-up from Dr George as well.
“And people don’t have to be having treatment on that day; we use it for people to get their results if they don’t want to wait two to three weeks to get back into the GP. We can try to organise a telehealth conference the next day after they’ve had their tests, so Dr George can give them their results.”
The equipment is not only used to consult with the oncologist, but it can be used to connect with doctors and specialists at any hospital which has the telehealth equipment.
The two donations – worth more than $20,000 – also contributed to the refurbishment of the private, multi-functional telehealth room, previously a ward, which is now used for telehealth appointments, as a sitting room and as a place for other specialists to use for consultations.
“It’s a big deal; for us and the patients, it’s really good,” Ms Bingham said.
Sophie O’Neill managed to raise funds for the outreach chemotherapy and infusion service from a Morocco in Moree charity dinner, held on the rooftop of B and W Rural in November last year.
Ms O’Neill was inspired to organise the charity dinner for her friend’s mum, the late Lynn Hunter, who was undergoing cancer treatment at the time.
“I wanted to help the Hunter family, especially the late Lynn Hunter and wanted to raise money for something that would help her with her treatment and help future patients that would really benefit from this service,” she said.
“[Lynn] really benefitted from and appreciated the Moree staff, so I thought I’d do a fundraiser to support them.”
About 90 people attended the dinner, raising a total of $10,211.19 through an auction and ticket sales.
Ms O’Neill would like to thank the generous sponsors – B and W Rural, Auscott Ltd, The Moree Gallery, MK and SM O'Neill, AK Hair, Burgess Murphy Insurance Group, The Slow Mode, Sprayer Barn, Pally Pecans, Cassegrain Wines, Courtney Gemmell Designs, Yoga Flow, and the Moree community – for their support of the fundraiser.
Meanwhile, Moree Cancer Support Group contributed more than $10,000 to the unit from money raised mostly through donations from various community groups and individuals.
Since the group was formed a number of years ago, they have contributed a great deal of money to the hospital, particularly supporting patients with cancer and chronic illness.
The group also pays for people to get equipment in their homes.
“We’re very lucky, it’s a very generous community,” acute health service manager Bronwyn Cosh said.
“We wouldn’t have all these wonderful things we have if it wasn’t for the community.”
