Hospital hails new telemedicine unit

LONG and difficult trips to the capital cities could soon be a thing of the past for South East cancer patients, with a new telemedicine unit to be set up in Mount Gambier giving the hospital access to oncology specialists in Adelaide.

Thanks to a donation of $75,000 from the South Australian Country Women's Association, the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer will be able to use the new technology to provide a two-way video linkup between patients and doctors in regional areas and staff at the Flinders Medical Centre.

Head of Flinders Medical Oncology Dr Bogda Koczwara said the system would reduce the need for country cancer patients to travel to major hospitals in Adelaide for treatment and consultations, allowing them to stay close to home with friends and family.

"It's hard to think of any greater health threat and health challenge than having to face a life with cancer," Dr Koczwara said.

"And when you think about it, it's even harder if that condition you're dealing with takes you away from your home and your loved ones.

"Now, with this technology, we can provide support to rural patients who are having treatment - if they have questions or problems they can talk with us directly without having to sit in a car for five hours."

Mount Gambier Hospital medical unit clinical nurse consultant Elizabeth Fallas hoped the service would allow regular sessions once a week for patients and also give local doctors the opportunity to liaise with counterparts in Adelaide.

"It could probably be near 30 people a month that we could help with this sort of technology so the potential is amazing," Ms Fallas said.

"It's just an excellent initiative for country people suffering from cancer."

The telemedicine unit is already operational at the Mount Gambier Hospital and will be up and running for local patients in the next few months, while plans are already underway to expand the service to other regional areas in the near future.