Architect appointed for Mullewa and Dongara
The local communities surrounding Mullewa and Dongara are one step closer to receiving fit-for-purpose health centres with the appointment of award-winning architectural firm Iredale Pederson Hook.
WA Country Health Service Midwest Regional Director Jeffrey Calver said Mullewa and Dongara hospitals would be reformed to focus on providing healthcare that keeps people well, in the community and out of hospital.
“The health centres will focus on promotion of good health, prevention and early detection of illness and management of chronic disease,” Mr Calver said.
“In addition to enhanced primary and community care facilities, the health centres will continue to provide 24-hour, seven-days-a-week emergency care from upgraded emergency departments.
“The new health centres are being developed in consultation with the local communities of Dongara and Mullewa, and the appointment of the architect has been eagerly anticipated by local residents and signals a tangible step in the progress of the redevelopments.”
The Mullewa Health Centre will be a brand new purpose-built primary health centre which will replace the current ageing hospital that was originally built in 1940. The Dongara Health Centre redesign will upgrade existing facilities and allow a more efficient and improved connection between all clinical departments and administration.
Both centres will be built to contemporary clinical standards and will include state-of-the-art emergency departments and access to the emergency telehealth service, multi-purpose consultation rooms, multi-functional consulting and treatment rooms, and group therapy rooms.
In conjunction with the new health centre in Mullewa, additional staff accommodation will be delivered that will house health centre staff, students and health professionals visiting the town.
Mr Calver said two consultative and advisory bodies have been appointed and will meet monthly to assist with service planning and project development of the two projects.
“The Project User Groups consist of community members including private GPs, representatives from St John Ambulance, the City of Greater Geraldton, Shire of Irwin, Shire of Mingenew, local Community Resource Centres and others,” he said.
The Mullewa and Dongara Health Centre redevelopments are two of four projects aimed at reforming health care delivery through innovative health centre design, under the half a billion dollar Royalties for Regions’ funded Southern Inland Health Initiative.
About $40 million will be spent redeveloping and reforming small hospitals in Cunderdin, Pingelly, Mullewa and Dongara Health Service to create new fit-for-purpose health centres.
The Southern Inland Health Initiative's $300 million capital works program is the largest undertaken by the WA Country Health Service, with new builds and upgrades to 37 hospitals and health services in the Wheatbelt, South West, Great Southern and Midwest.