Cancer treatment centre in Albany a step closer

A review into the possibility of the State Government part-funding a cancer treatment bunker in Albany is expected to be completed within four months.

Health Minister Roger Cook revealed last week, after a meeting with senior clinicians at Albany Health Campus, the review into building an oncology unit in Albany had started.

“The feasibility study to build this specialised bunker to house the oncology equipment has begun and is due to be complete by the end of May,” he said.

“I understand the Federal Government’s grant to purchase the radiotherapy equipment is due to expire in June so I have written to the Federal minister for health and asked for that deadline to be extended to allow time for a proper assessment to be undertaken.”

In September it was reported the Federal Government had committed $6.6 million to assist Genesis Health Care in developing an Albany radiation oncology facility which would likely service the whole Great Southern. The Federal funding is reserved to assist in purchasing a linear accelerator, a CT simulator and a CT interfacing and computer system.

As part of the plan, the State Government would pay to build the bunker to host the machinery — a price tag Genesis general manager Michael Davis has speculated could be between $3 million and $4 million.

At the time of the Federal announcement, O’Connor MP Rick Wilson called it a win for the region’s health services, proposing it could be operational by mid-2019.

However, the State Government conceded the funding had come as a surprise, and it would review the proposal first.