Community
4 December, 2024
Camooweal’s $28m health clinic will be a game-changer, CEO says
There was much fanfare at the grand opening in Camooweal.
Camooweal's $28 million primary health care centre will be used as a major selling point in the battle to attract skilled medical professionals to the North West, says service CEO Sean Birgan.
With the North West increasingly reliant on locum and contract staff to fill medical professional shortages, the North West Hospital and Health Service chief executive believes the scheduled rollout of new facilities across the region over the coming two years, as part of the biggest local health infrastructure build in living memory, can be promoted in the effort to attract and retain skilled health workers.
He said the new Camooweal facility was among the first in a series of planned infrastructure openings and it would be used to appeal to medical professionals who want to interact with the latest available technology and surroundings.
“We know that new facilities attract our staff,” Mr Birgan said.
“It is much easier to sell a new job to someone when that staff member will be working in a brand-new facility, rather than a fifty-year-old facility.
“I believe that these new facilities that we are building across the North West – and there are a number of them set for completion – will attract new staff in a very thin job market.
“We talk about in healthcare something being contemporary or modern or cutting edge – we now have got a large environment in Camooweal that our clinicians can work in. It is a major drawcard for our staff to work in modern and brand-new facilities and it is very important that residents are treated in safe and modern facilities.”
The ribbon was cut to welcome the community to the new Camooweal clinic in a gathering of about 100 locals and officials last week.
The clinic, which will employ five people, includes new onsite staff accommodation, telehealth facilities, mortuary, multipurpose consultation rooms and a dedicated room for visiting RFDS pilots.
Mr Birgan said engaging the community in the construction process had been a major focus of the project.
“We engaged in nearly two years of consultation with the community to ensure that every detail — from shade to car parking — met the community’s needs,” he said.
“This clinic isn’t just a building; it’s a space designed for the people it serves, supporting health and well-being now and into the future.”
The official opening included performances by students from Camooweal State School, and the unveiling of a time capsule, where guests were encouraged to contribute messages and mementos to be opened in 2074.
