Waimarino health centre building to start January

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 566, 13 December 1994, Page 1

Waimarino health centre building to start January

Waimarino' s new health centre could be completed by the end of April 1995, if all goes to plan. Plans for the 460 square metre

Lockwood-designed building are currently being considered by the Ruapehu District Council and Health Department for licensing and resource consents.

Work on the project is expected to start mid-January and take 14 weeks. Local contractor Peter Richards Builders Ltd, have won the contract to build the facil-

ity, to be located on Seddon Street, where the old Waimarino Hotel used to be. The Waimarino Health Watch Committee has endorsed the plans for the centre and its services. "We have reviewed the plan and firmly believe that it is a positive move for the Waimarino," said spokesperson Jenny Dekker. "Services are going to be enhanced from the modem building." "The Community Health Watch Group is really looking forward to liaising with staff and the community in getting behind this project," said Mrs Dekker. The centre will have three maternity suites with ensuite bathrooms and two community care bedrooms, plus rooms for radiology and physiotherapy, con-

sulting room, treatment room, a 'community base' room, a patient lounge, and various utility rooms including a kitchen. The building is to be sited six metres back from the street frontage, with shrubs planted in front. The ambulance entrance will be from Queen Street and car parking will be provided behind the building and there will be entrances from Seddon and Queen Streets. A courtyard is included on the western side to provide privacy for patients and their families, with gardens, seats and an elevated garden for seniors activities group to "maintain and share with the community". The plans call for full fencing with extensive outside lighting, alarms and TURNTOPAGE2

Waimarino health centre building to start January

FROMPAGE1 fire protection. "By increasing our profile out and about in the community and providing health education and pro-

motionmaterial, videos and demonstrations within the unit, we hope to encourage a broader section of the community to access our services," said centre man-

ager Rowena Kui. She said outpatient services that will be provided will be orthopaedic, medical, surgical, paediatric, psychiatric, ear nose and throat, gynaecological and obstetric, diabetes, asthma and dietetic educators. Radiography will be available two days a week, and with the orthopaedic clinic. A full physiotherapy service is to be provided five days a week, plus on weekends if a patient requires treatment. Hours Services will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The centre will

be staffed Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm with longer hours on an "as needed" basis. A patient would call the unit and be connected to Wanganui Base Hospital staff, who would page oncall staff to call them in to the centre. Doctors would continue to be employed to provide medical services 24 hours, seven days a week. Ambulance and police would have access to the unit as required. Cooking and cleaning will be done from the centre, including meals on wheels, said Mrs Kui. Community based serv-

ices would include a public health nurse, service to schools, social worker two days per week and contactable other days, a district nurse service seven days a week, three nursing staff (intended to help people remain in their own home environment as much as possible), community midwifery extended to seven days. Unit midwifery would be available to provide continuity of care throughout labour and deli very and also ambulance transfers. Seniors activities would continue to be run at the centre, two days per week.