Peter Rundle MLA. Photos: Geoff Vivian.
Member for Roe Peter Rundle says the Esperance community is willing to raise funds for a life-saving Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine at the Esperance Health Campus and needs the WA Government to house and operate it.
“The medical fraternity and the general community in Esperance are calling for the installing of MRI equipment, and, as is the case with many issues in regional areas, the community has come up with a solution,” he said.
In a grievance motion to Parliament on Thursday, Mr Rundle said “putting its money where its mouth was”, the community had committed to raising the cost of the machine.
“Local businesses and farmers are prepared to invest because they know how much state-of-the-art diagnostic imagining would benefit their community,” Mr Rundle said.
Mr Rundle said a conservative estimate for the number of Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) funded referrals for MRI services was around 4-5 scans per week, around 200-250 a year.
“It is estimated that this would double if a machine were available locally, with patients choosing to access health services when they are closer,” he said.
“Consequently, outcomes will be better.”
WA Health minister Meredith Hammat said if community members were keen to contribute towards the cost of the machine, she was happy to talk to them about it.
“However, a lot of considerations go into the purchase and operation of that kind of equipment,” she said.
“It is complicated and clearly needs the right infrastructure in order to operate.”
Ms Hammat said her government was committed to a number of upgrades, including those at Albany Health Campus.
“It is not in the member’s electorate, but I recognise that it provides important services to the people he represents in Esperance and Katanning,” she said.
“I take the member’s point about the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme.
“We recognise that it is not always the solution, but it is an important part of the solution.”
A Rex flight delay prevented Ms Hammat from an Esperance visit earlier this year to address a budget lunch.
“I am planning to visit before the end of the year,” she said.
“I am happy to meet with those who are keen to contribute, to understand their proposal and to talk to the WA Country Health Service about what that would mean.”
