Riverina MP Michael McCormack has described the planned build of UNSW's Biomedical Sciences Centre at Wagga's Base Hospital as the "crowning achievement" of his tenure as deputy prime minister.
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The $21 million being used to construct the centre and develop a new rural medical school program in the city is part of the federal government's $74 million Murray-Darling Medical Schools investment.
Having received development approval, construction of the regional medical training hub is set to begin in mid-2022 with hopes of completion by the end of 2023.
The UNSW initiative is one part of a concerted local effort encouraging medical students to stay and work in surrounding regional areas after completing their study. Students will now have the opportunity to study their full six years in Wagga, rather than only three as was previously possible.
"We country people deserve the best in medical services," Mr McCormack said.
"What we're going to end up with just around the corner is a building we're going to be proud of, a building that people are going to drive past and say that is something that Wagga Wagga needed ... and that is something that is going to provide country doctors that we so desperately require for our city and beyond."
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Wagga MP Joe McGirr also lauded the facility, which he estimated was the culmination of a 25-year run-up.
"We know we have enormous challenges in rural healthcare. Health outcomes for rural people still fade far behind those in metropolitan areas," he said.
"We've still got a lot of work to do. We're getting our medical school, we're getting our medical students now trained in rural areas but we've got a lot of work yet to do to get our specialists fully trained."
In order to retain students after their studies, the Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) and the UNSW training hub is also offering junior medical officers an additional two years of support and opportunities to work in local and surrounding rural hospitals.
"They get a taste and a flavour of what it's like to work in a rural area," MLHD chief executive Jill Ludford said.
"Healthcare is the most important building block of a strong community."
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Tim Piccione
Tim is a journalist with the Canberra Times covering the ACT courts. He came to the nation's capital via the Daily Advertiser in Wagga. Contact: tim.piccione@canberratimes.com.au.
Tim is a journalist with the Canberra Times covering the ACT courts. He came to the nation's capital via the Daily Advertiser in Wagga. Contact: tim.piccione@canberratimes.com.au.
