The former children's ward at Bowral and District Hospital has been transformed into renal dialysis unit after a 20-year campaign by the Southern Highlands Renal Appeal.
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The six-bed unit will offer potentially life-saving treatment close to home for residents in the Southern Highlands.
Southern Highlands Renal Appeal (SHRA) chairman Bob Barrett said the Southern Highlands was a generous community that supported its own.
The group campaigned for 21 years for a local renal unit and raised more than $750,000.
"It's good to see it finished," he said.
"It far exceeds expectations. I'm very proud to be a part of it."
SHRA member Sarah Edmonds said the new renal dialysis unit was "incredible".
"The first tour I did here, I got a little emotional," she said.
"We never thought we'd see it happen."
Ms Edmonds became involved with SHRA when her father moved to the Southern Highlands and needed to find a dialysis unit.
"Campbelltown and Liverpool Hospital were full and only Fairfield was available," she said
"It was a nightmare."
Ms Edmonds said she had found a private clinic in Liverpool for her father but wanted something close to home.
"I did some research and came across Bob and the Southern Highlands Renal appeal.
"We decided to push again and start lobbying."
The group's lobbying has paid off, with patients no longer needing to travel to Liverpool or Campbelltown.
Patient David Sullivan knows the importance of having a renal dialysis unit close to home.
For five years he's had to make the journey to Liverpool hospital three times a week to receive dialysis.
"It was a lot of travelling, especially when you finish late. You need a day to recover," he said.
"The [new] ward is comfortable and the nurses here are great.
"I now get to spend more time with my wife, kids and grandkids instead of travelling."
Member for Wollondilly, Nathaniel Smith, said thanks to the collaboration between the NSW Government and the Southern Highlands Renal Appeal, the dialysis capacity had tripled.
"Thank you to the Southern Highlands Renal Appeal for its support, donating $765,000 to improve and expand the treatment for local dialysis patients," he said said.
"The expanded unit provides six renal chairs with planning underway for the staged opening of additional chairs in line with future demand."
"I was particularly impressed with the new state-of-the-art blanket warming unit, the only one of its kind in the region, which will greatly enhance the comfort of patients undergoing dialysis.
Bowral and District Hospital General Manager Bradley Warner said staff and patients were delighted with the warm and welcoming new space, which overlooks the hospital garden.
"Patients can spend more than 15 hours each week receiving treatment, and this bright and modern area will significantly improve their experience," he said.
"It has a lot of natural light and the interior design complements the new clinical services building, which was completed as part of the first stage of redevelopment works in late 2020.
"This is a significant step for Bowral and important to the community."
As part of a record $10.8 billion investment in health infrastructure across the state to 2024-25, the NSW Government invested an initial $68.7 million in the redevelopment of Bowral and District Hospital to deliver a new clinical services building, committing an additional $55 million for the second stage of works.
A range of early works as part of the hospital's stage two redevelopment have already been completed, including a new pharmacy and central sterilising services department.
Commencement of main works is expected before March 2023 and will include significant refurbishment of existing hospital buildings.
To find out more about the Bowral and District Hospital redevelopment project, please visit: https://www.swslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/bowral/redevelopment.html
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