‘Buckets in the hallway’: The Cape York hospital crying out for a major upgrade

A dilapidated southern Cape York hospital must receive a massive nine-figure funding injection, or risk losing more staff and services in the coming months, Cook Shire’s mayor says.

The Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service. Picture: Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service

A dilapidated southern Cape York hospital must receive a massive nine-figure funding injection, or risk losing more staff and services in the coming months, a Far North mayor says.

Leaky roofs, a lack of clinicians and limited facilities at Cooktown’s multipurpose health centre has led to at least one critical service shutting down, with expectant mothers forced to either travel to Cairns or have home births following the closure of its birthing suite in 2022.

A business case to upgrade the 24-hour care facility, whose ageing infrastructure was established as a temporary service 36 years ago, was submitted to the Department of Health almost two years ago.

Since then, the cost to redevelop the hospital – which services several neighbouring remote Indigenous communities – has skyrocketed, Cook mayor Robyn Holmes said.

“It started at about $60m a few years ago and now it’s escalated out to around $200m,” Ms Holmes said.

“The prices of materials have increased during that period but it (the hospital) services all of southern Cape York.

“It’s the major health centre in the southern Cape area and provides outreach to places like Laura, Hope Vale, Wujal Wujal and beyond.”

Shabby buildings and rundown amenities had affected the quality of care provided and staff morale, Ms Holmes said.

“You can see the buckets in the hallway during the wet season (catching rain),” she said.

“If you go to work every day and your work space isn’t reasonable, you tend to leave.

“We’re trying to get maternity services back and we need to attract obstetricians to do that.

“The staff do a wonderful job with what they have but the limits on what you’re working with affects your capacity.”

Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) CEO Rex O'Rourke says upgrading Cooktown Hospital is “of the highest priority”. Picture: Brendan Radke

Torres and Cape Hospital Health Service chief executive Rex O’Rourke refused to put a dollar figure on the development but said improving the hospital is “of the highest priority” with inpatient beds expected to increase from 16 to 24.

“Any proposed new hospital would involve … a new operating theatre, new emergency and medical imaging departments, as well as new outpatient areas and overall upgrades to engineering, mechanical and information technology systems,” Mr O’Rourke said.

Ms Holmes, who met with Health Minister Shannon Fentiman in Brisbane earlier this month, said the hospital must be funded.

“It’s something I’d like to see in the budget, and if not as an election promise,” she said.

Earlier this week, TCHHS’ Western Director of Medical Services, Dr John Hall said shutting facilities down in regional and remote communities deprived patients of a “basic human right”.

“In the last 20 years, 150 birthing services have closed across rural Australia,” Dr Hall said.

“It’s so important to maintain services in these towns so that the community gets access to care across a broad range of services.

“It’s a basic human right to have access to birthing and emergency services.”

Originally published as ‘Buckets in the hallway’: The Cape York hospital crying out for a major upgrade