State Government to fund new health clinic at Warburton

21/9/01
After years of negotiations with the previous State Government, the Warburton community will finally receive a new health clinic that will cater to the specific health and cultural needs of the regional population.
The Minister for Goldfields-Esperance, Nick Griffiths, said the State Government had identified the new clinic as a high priority.
As a result, the State Government had allocated $2 million for the two-year project in the 2001-02 Budget.
"The new clinic will have facilities for home dialysis and an oral health program," Mr Griffiths said.
" We are working on a more culturally appropriate and efficient design of the clinic that will meet local health needs.
"I am pleased that I can announce today that designs are currently been drawn up and that construction will begin next year."
Mr Griffiths visited the existing health clinic in Warburton today and said he was seeing for himself the results of years of neglect under the previous government.
"The new clinic is long overdue," he said.
"Years of talks with the previous government got us nowhere and the current facilities are inadequate.
"Some of the problems at the existing clinic include the lack of appropriate waiting areas, forcing people to wait alongside patients as they are being treated."
Mr Griffiths said the former government was aware of the problems in Warburton but failed to provide enough money for the radical improvements that were needed.
"In 1999 the previous government offered $700,000 for a new health clinic," he said.
"This was not enough to fund the demolition of the existing building and construction of the new clinic.
"The allocation will improve health facilities in the Ngaanyatjarra lands substantially.
"Health is one of our main priorities in government. The Budget demonstrated our commitment to improving the quality of health care in rural WA."
Ngaanyatjarra Health Service manages health clinics and various outstations throughout the Ngaanyatjrarra Lands. This covers 19 million hectares across the Great Victorian and Gibson Deserts in WA.
The Minister met with representatives from the Ngaanyatjarra Health Services during a two-day visit to Warburton and Laverton.
Media contact: Melissa Robinson 9222 8950 (w)