New Children’s Cancer Centre Opens at WCH
A new children’s cancer centre at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide has been opened.
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Joint Release
The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP
Ministers for Health
The Hon John Hill
Minister for Health, Mental Health and Substance Abuse
12 April 2012
The federal and state health ministers have opened the new children’s cancer centre at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
The new haematology and oncology centre is one element of a three-storey redevelopment on top of the existing Gilbert Building. This work has also created space for a new 20-bed medical ward, a lung disease centre and a gene therapy laboratory.
The extensive redevelopment has been funded in partnership between the Commonwealth and State Governments, with generous support from the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Little Heroes Foundation.
The new haematology and oncology facilities are named after the respected paediatric oncologist, Dr Michael Rice, who has been associated with the hospital for more than 50 years.
Minister Plibersek said, “The Michael Rice Centre brings together a place where children and teenagers with blood disorders or cancer can be treated.”
Minister Hill said, “The facilities include a special lead-lined room for children undergoing radiotherapy with a video link to a parents’ room. This physically isolates them to reduce the risk of radiation exposure for other patients and staff while still keeping them in close contact with their families.
“There are also two ‘negative pressure’ areas which allow for infectious patients to be nursed in isolation.”
The new floors on the Gilbert building also house the Breathing Space service which will assess patients with respiratory and lung illnesses as well as the new Allan Scott laboratory where research will continue into an airway gene therapy to treat or even cure the lung diseases associated with cystic fybrosis.
Federal Member for Adelaide Kate Ellis said the hospital’s usual activities and services have continued largely uninterrupted during the extensive work on the Gilbert Building.
“The staff here has done a wonderful job, continuing to provide a first-class service to patients and families,” Ms Ellis said.
“Staff and patients will benefit from the new clinical areas and the more efficient, comfortable and family-friendly facilities.”
NB: The Gilbert Building Redevelopment Project has been made possible with $15 million Federal Government funding, $4.4m from the State Government, $2.6m from the WCH Foundation towards the Breathing Space and $2m from the Little Heroes Foundation towards the Michael Rice Centre.
For more information, contact Ms Plibersek’s office on 02 6277 7220
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