Radiation campaign soldiering on

Community forum provides more information as stakeholders vow to continue fight

The campaign for a radiation treatment service in the Limestone Coast continued in earnest last week with a community forum at Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre, in Mount Gambier, with more than 200 members of the community heading along to hear from a raft of key stakeholders.

The three radiation treatment service providers who work in regional Australia were represented, as was the Limestone Coast Radiation Treatment working party, the Mount Gambier Cancer Support Group, a Mount Gambier cancer survivor and SA Opposition Leader David Speirs, along with a raft of other Federal, State and Local Government figures.

For the best part of 90 minutes, there was an exchange of information, telling of personal stories and an extended Q&A with those at the coalface of the campaign determined to continue their fight.

WHAT THE KEY PLAYERS HAD TO SAY:

Limestone Coast Radiation Treatment working party chair Lachlan Haynes

“It is a huge burden personally, emotionally and financially to relocate or travel to Warrnambool or Adelaide for that very same service and you have no support network.

“Demand warrants the Limestone Coast should have its own dedicated provision of radiation treatment. Limestone Coast residents overwhelmingly supported the cause.

“It’s no wonder outcomes for Limestone Coast residents are so much poorer.

“The best place for recovery, during and post treatment, would be your home.

“We will keep going, we will keep pushing for this. We will continue to ask the local health network and Health Minister to please quarantine and not spend the $4.3miilion allocated (by Federal Government). Radiation Treatment Advisory Group representative Joel Parrish

“Clearly they (a local radiation treatment service) will provide better outcomes for patients. It is a clinically and cost effective form of treatment.”

Genesis Care healthcare executive Duy Tran (pictured above left)

“We understand the disruption to a lot of patients. We need a holistic pathway for patients when we consider a service.”

Mount Gambier Cancer Support Group Lorraine Musgrove

“It all unravels once the (cancer) diagnosis begins. It is much more mentally draining for country people and you have that on top of the disease of cancer.

“We need to pull together, stay strong and work together to get a much needed radiation treatment service to Mount Gambier.”

Mount Gambier cancer survivor Michelle Riley (Diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2020 when she was 41)

• 59 days away from home for radiation
• Three trips from Mount Gambier to Adelaide in early days of diagnosis for tests and surgery
• March 2021 – travelled alone to Warrnambool by bus for initial consult
• March 29 – travelled to Warrnambool initially for a month for 25 radiation sessions and in the end due to
some medical complications (not related directly to her radiation treatment) she did not return to Mount Gambier until after her final treatment on May 28.
“This was during COVID. Cancer is hard enough but during the pandemic made it overwhelming. I was advised not to leave Warrnambool in case the borders shut and my family was not allowed to visit. I was only barely surviving, I was by no means thriving. I was trapped in one room in a strange city.”
“It is the health of the Limestone Coast that is the real worth, not gold and silver.”

SA Opposition Leader David Speirs

“I’m here to learn about what this region needs…of what your region doesn’t have. This region matters to the party I lead, it matters to me, regional South Australia matters to me. My team I are here to listen and learn what your region needs in terms of health care. We have your back in this campaign.

“I’ll make sure you get much better services including better cancer treatment.”

SA Minister for Health & Wellbeing Chris Picton (provided statement – was not able to attend Tuesday’s forum)

“It is incredible we have the SA Liberal Vice President, the SA Liberal Leader and the Liberal Federal Member all forgetting that it was during their term as Liberal State and Federal Governments that they rejected this proposal just two years ago.

“As opposed to the Liberals’ inaction – under our government the Local Health Network Board is commissioning a full feasibility study into whether a linear accelerator and radiation oncology service should be established including considering the safety and quality of the services. The study will be fully released and will be then assessed by the Local Health Board.

“I always appreciate visiting the Limestone Coast, but already had other regional trips arranged as well as events in Adelaide this week so was unable to hear the explanations from the Liberals of why they cancelled this project when they were in Government.

“We are also going ahead with expansions to the Mount Gambier emergency department and mental health services which were also not proposed by the former Liberal Government.”