A new helipad has been completed at Lithgow Hospital. Earlier this year Member for Bathurst Paul Toole announced the project was underway on a site adjacent to the Great Western Highway near the front of the hospital.
“The new helipad is part of a $200,000 upgrade which will ensure the community continues to have access to the best possible health care,” Mr Toole said.
“Providing a helicopter patient transfer service at Lithgow Hospital is literally a lifeline when it comes to medical support.
“The inclusion of helipads at hospitals has saved thousands of lives and is considered a vital and essential part of patient care.”
Mr Toole said the NSW Government is also investing $3 million to deliver a world-class MRI service at the hospital.
“There has been extensive planning and consultation with a decision made that the new service will be delivered as a new build extension near the main entrance to the hospital,” he said.
“The extension will provide enough space to operate the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine and ensure the service is well-located near other clinical and medical imaging services at the hospital.
“Construction will also include a staff station, patient waiting area, change rooms and bathrooms.
“However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the MRI project has been delayed with completion expected in the first quarter of the New Year.”
Mr Toole said the MRI will save locals the inconvenience of travelling outside the region to access a diagnostic scanner.
