Labor commits to health tech

NEW positron emission tomography scanners will be purchased for health services across the State, including the Ballarat Base, if Labor is re-elected to State government.

The PET scanners worth a total of $44 million will go to eight hospitals, and Labor candidate and Member for Wendouree, Juliana Addison said the imaging equipment will benefit the whole region.

“We already have these fantastic PET scanners that diagnose cancer and heart disease and epilepsy in Bendigo and Geelong but it’s fantastic that they will now be in Ballarat,” she said.

“This is going to streamline care. This is going to reduce waiting times to get this important diagnostic information. It’s going to deliver better outcomes for Ballarat patients.

“Each machine costs $5.5 million so it is a significant investment in our hospitals.”

The local PET scanner would be the first available within Ballarat’s public health sector.

Labor candidate for Ripon, Martha Haylett, said ta locally-based PET would impact people far beyond Ballarat.

“It will benefit communities across the whole of the Ripon electorate; Maryborough, Beaufort, Ararat,” she said.

“So many people rely on PET scans and they’ll be able to do it closer to home now that we are announcing this if re-elected.”

Premier Daniel Andrews said it will improve the capabilities of health service providers throughout Victoria.

“Having access to a PET scanner close to home makes a massive difference to patients and their families. It means answers, and critically, earlier access to life-saving care,” he said.