Healthy North Coast continues to support people living in the Eastern Dorrigo area, joining with community members this month to celebrate the second anniversary of Ulong’s Mountain Health Hub and its planned expansion.
Along with Coffs Harbour City Council, TAFE NSW, NSW Health and Coffs Harbour’s Northside Health, Healthy North Coast has helped to coordinate and fund improved health care for local residents.
Support includes the original funding for a clinical space, along with dedicated laptops for telehealth, a fridge to keep medicines and specimens, thermometers, blood pressure monitors and oxygen gauges. This year, Healthy North Coast provided assistance towards construction of a treatment room in the Eastern Dorrigo Community Hall, where the health hub is located.
Healthy North Coast Chief Executive Monika Wheeler congratulated everyone involved in reaching the second anniversary of the health hub’s operation.
‘It’s great to see the difference the health hub has made,’ Ms Wheeler said. ‘I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to help with additional funding to build the treatment room extension, which will complement the existing consultation room.
‘It shows what can be achieved by working together toward a common goal. The beneficiaries will be the members of the Eastern Dorrigo community, who deserve quality health care and have fought hard for these services for many years.’
Eastern Dorrigo Community Hall Chair, Mrs Carol Cleary, thanked all who helped make the health hub a reality and paid special tribute to Northside Health GP Dr Jay Ruthnam, who makes monthly visits to care for residents.
‘We hope with this new addition, we will be able to extend Dr Ruthnam’s ability to assist patients on site, without the need to travel to Coffs Harbour,’ Mrs Cleary said. We are also looking at providing a pathology and immunisation service in conjunction with the monthly Health Hub,” said Mrs Cleary.
