THE response time of paramedics to potentially fatal incidents on the Mitchell Highway north of Orange will be slashed thanks to a new ambulance station in Molong, according to Cabonne mayor Kevin Beatty.
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Cr Beatty officially opened the building on Friday, saying the facility would meet the mobile emergency care needs of Molong and surrounding areas for many years to come.
"When I first came to Molong in 1996, we had two paramedics working out of a demountable building, and now we have a state-of-the-art, fit-for-purpose facility at the hospital precinct," he said.
Delivered as part of the NSW government's $122 million Rural Ambulance Infrastructure Reconfiguration Program, the mayor said it was designed with input from paramedics to better support front-line staff.
I know how crucial it is to have a paramedic base strategically located on this section of the Mitchell Highway, where a rapid response can be life-saving.
- Cabonne mayor Kevin Beatty
"As a former police officer, I know how crucial it is to have a paramedic base strategically located on this section of the Mitchell Highway, where a rapid response can be life-saving in the case of serious road accident trauma," Cr Beatty said.
"But obviously our paramedics are also called to many other emergencies and that's why this facility is so important."
Cr Beatty said the station was an excellent addition to Molong's hospital precinct and would play a key role in delivering expert clinical care to patients from Molong, nearby villages and surrounding rural areas.
"It wasn't that many years ago Cabonne Council and many residents in the town were concerned about the long-term future of Molong hospital," he said.
"But far from seeing our hospital disappear, we have witnessed an amazing redevelopment that now provides 24-hour access to urgent and emergency care; inpatient beds, residential aged care beds and staff accommodation.
"The construction of this new ambulance station has further enhanced this precinct and given Molong health care facilities that are the envy of many other country towns.
"I congratulate the NSW government for its vision in undertaking this project and making a major investment in the future of Molong and Cabonne's health services."
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