Expanded medical centre officially opened by Coulton

Outback Division of General Practice (ODGP) director Peter Spence welcomed
Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton to officially open the Cobar Primary Health Care Centre’s new extension yesterday. They are pictured with representatives from the ODGP, council, the mines and other local groups involved in the project.

Patients in Cobar and the wider district will feel the benefits of improved healthcare facilities, with the official opening yesterday of the newly upgraded Cobar Primary Health Care Centre.

Member for Parkes Mark Coulton said he was pleased to have helped deliver a $200,000 Federal Government grant to the NSW Outback Division of General Practice for the project.

“This grant has enabled the Cobar Primary Health Care Centre to expand and improve their services,” Mr Coulton said.

“The extension and upgrade includes two new dedicated GP Supervisor rooms and six clinical/consulting rooms, as well as a large education/meeting room equipped with teaching infrastructure.

“These improved facilities support the delivery of integrative health care, and will allow more doctors, nurses and other health workers to get hands-on training in general practices in rural and remote areas like Cobar.

“I am pleased the Government supports a strong primary care workforce that can meet Australia’s future healthcare needs, including those of the Parkes electorate.”

Mr Coulton said the $415,244 project was also co-funded by NSW Outback Division of General Practice, Cobar Shire Council and Peak Mines.

Cobar Primary Health Care is among 67 practices across Australia that were offered grants totalling $13.1 million in 2017, under the Government’s Rural General Practice Grants program.

The projects funded range from building new rooms to renovating existing rooms and buying computing technology or medical equipment.