BRANCH REPORTS
Red Dog and Red Dirt - Karratha is located in the state’s Pilbara region and is home to some of the world’s most ancient natural landscapes, dating back more than two billion years and stretching over 500,000 square kilometres. This was the setting chosen by the West Australian Branch for the 2018 Country Conference, and to showcase the new Karratha Health Campus. The $207.15 million Karratha Health Campus has been the biggest investment in a public hospital ever undertaken in regional WA. The Health Campus upgrade includes: a new 40 bed facility with a significantly expanded emergency department; a new CT scanner, surgical ward, maternity wing and delivery suites; expanded facilities for outpatients and essential services, such as child health and medical imaging, all brought together in a single healthcare hub. It boasts world class Telehealth services, a helipad, and in addition to outstanding emergency and hospital care, the Karratha Health Campus will provide a comprehensive “one stop shop” for the delivery of integrated health services, including physiotherapy, speech therapy, counselling, community health nursing and community mental health. Karratha Health Campus will also provide valuable support to smaller regional hospitals within the Pilbara region. Decorative Translucent Screens to Public Health Education Rooms
Multiplex delivered the $207 million build, and the Pilbara Industries Community Council donated $650,000 to support construction of the helipad. The five members of this group are BHP Billiton Iron Ore, Chevron Australia Pty Ltd, North West Shelf Venture, Rio Tinto Iron Ore and Woodside Petroleum. “Reinventing Healthcare in Karratha” was this year’s theme. The Conference was opened by Margi Faulkner, Regional Director for the Pilbara West Australian Country Health Service. Margi acknowledged the traditional owners, the Ngarluma People and welcomed 40 delegates. Her address was especially appreciated for illuminating the particular
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challenges that face all who work in the remote Pilbara Healthcare Region. Margi’s professional expertise, and the delivery of her presentation, was well received by all and the Institute appreciates the support and commitment to providing our members with continuous professional insight, and in helping to energize and rejuvenate our member community. Margi Faulkner, Regional Director for Pilbara WACHS, with the Opening Address
The Conference continued with a video presentation by Hudson Lun, from Multiplex, that provided the delegates with a comprehensive insight into the construction of the Health Campus, from start to finish. Corporate members presented across a wide range of topics, which included medical gases technology, infection control principles, and practices relevant to healthcare engineering. Brad West, Manager Infrastructure and Support Services, who was kind enough to host the Conference, presented “Hospital Engineering My Way”. Brad informed the group how, in a given week, he could set off and drive in excess of 2,500 kilometres to service healthcare engineering in the Pilbara region - and not all the roads are asphalted, so hundreds of kilometres are travelled on gravel services. Brad also took the opportunity to advise all of the positives of living and working in the Pilbara, showing some great photos of his successful fishing trips! The Multiplex Team