Bowen Hospital gets the green light on vital new facilities

Patients will no longer need to travel to access vital equipment, with the upgrade expected to start this August.

Bowen Hospital has recieved the green light for the construction of a CT Scanner.

BOWEN Hospital has received the green light for the construction of a CT Scanner to enable hundreds of patients to receive scans in town rather than having to travel, with construction set to kick-off in August.

The Bowen Chamber of Commerce has been lobbying for the installation of the scanner to help avoid the necessity for patients to travel to other centres for medical assessment.

Currently, patients in need of a CT scan are being transported to Proserpine, Mackay or even as far as Townsville.

Mackay Hospital and Health Service chief executive Jo Whitehead said the team had been progressively expanding services at Bowen Hospital, and confirmed the design of the project was in the final stages this week.

"Expansion of Bowen Hospital's medical imaging department will bring a CT scanner service closer to home for Bowen and Collinsville residents," she said.

"The proposed sign off on the project's design concept will occur this week and then progress to tendering for a  contractor to undertake the work.

"Construction of the medical imaging service expansion is anticipated to commence early August 2020."

Bowen Chamber of Commerce chairman Bruce Hedditch said we wouldn't have secured the scanner without the contribution and support of the Member for Dawson, George Christensen, who secured $5 million from the Federal Government for the upgrade.

"I think the community should be immensely grateful for what George Christensen has done," he said.

"Without George's contribution we wouldn't have gotten the scanner.

"I am indebted to George Christensen and the Bowen Hospital, particularly Julie Minouge the director for nursing, who has been very proactive.

"Bowen's been neglected a little too long, but what's happening now is we're catching up and we'll soon have the facilities we should to help rural people.

"We'll be a much better community for having it."

Mr Christensen congratulated the Bowen Chamber of Commerce on their tireless advocacy in fighting for health services and welcomed news that the construction would be underway in just a few months' time.

"I'm pleased to hear there is now a firm timeline in place for the delivery of the CT scanner for the people of Bowen," he said.

"This is expected to benefit 800 patients a year who will no longer need to be transferred by ambulance, or travel by car, to other centres for CT scans.

"I have been advised that construction of the building to house the CT scanner is set to commence in August, with an expected handover of the building and installed scanner in May next year.

"This saves time and money, as well as speeding up treatment for people who need to access lifesaving scans for cancer, stroke, heart and other medical conditions.

"People will no longer have to travel a couple of hours either north or south to get medical imaging done at Mackay, Townsville or Proserpine, so this is a great leap forward in health treatment for the people of the Bowen region."

The Queensland Department of Health is currently signing off on the final plans for the development.

The next expected steps on the project timeline includes calling for tenders for the construction in the next two to three weeks, then construction is planned to start in August 2020 and the completion is expected in May 2021.

QBuild will oversee the project and Bowen builders are encouraged to submit tenders.

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