PRIME MHAINISTE Press Statement No. 384
26 November 1974
NEW COMMUNITY HEALTH PROJECTS
The Prime Minister and Member for Werriwa, Mr Cough
Whitlam, today welcomed the new grants for community health
projects in the Western Metropolitan Region of Sydney. These
were announced in Canberra yesterday by the Acting Minister
for Health, Dr Moss Cass.
Mr Whitlam, said that he had always believed that the
health care obtainable everywhere in Australia should be as good
as the health care obtainable anywhere in Australia. ' Too often
in the past there had been inadequate health facilities in the
rapidly developing outer suburban areas of Australia's cities,
and an over-concentration in other areas.
The Australian Government's real commitment to the
improvement of health care facilities was already illustrated
by yesterday's announcement of $ 8,232,148 for community health
projects throughout N. S. W.
Mr Whitlam. said the Western Metropolitan Area would
receive the lion's share of the total grant of $ 8,232,148 for
community health projects in New South Wales.
The largest N. S. W. grant is $ 291,300 for a Community
Nursing Program in Werriwa/ Prospect. These funds have been made
available to recruit, train and employ 50 community nurses in an
expansion of the project.
Several other grants would also boost nursing
programs in the Western suburbs, Mr Whitlam said. Primary Nursing
Centres will receive $ 82,200 for the establishment of Community
Nurse facilities throughout the region. The Macquare Fields Health
Centre will get $ 58,418 to provide accommodation for community nurses
and to establish a health centre base for secondary services.
Specialist Community Nursing in the Western Metropolitan Region
will benefit from a $ 27,644 grant towards the establishment of
a Community Nurse Support service.
Mr Whitlam. said he was glad that proper attention was
finally being paid to the importance of community nursing
programs and to upgrading facilities for nurses. For too long
nurses had been regarded as the poor relations in health care,
despite the fact that they were in closest and most constant
touch with people in need of care.
Two grants had been announced of particular interest
to women, Mr Whitlam said. A grant of $ 74,100 has been allocated
to establish a Women's Community Health Centre in the Western
Metropolitan Region. This follows the success of the Women's
Community Health Centre in Leichardt which is run by women and for
women. Another grant of $ 41,400 will go towards providing
co-ordinated family planning services in Liverpool, Mt Druitt,
Penrith and Fairfield Health Centres.
Smaller grants will go towards promotipg community
involvement in community health projects in the area and to
establish integrated health education in industry. A grant of
$ 9,525 is to employ a nutritionist working with the health
education team to develop a nutritional education program for
special risk groups in the western suburbs region.
Finally, Mr Whitlam said, $ 34,650 had been recommended
for feasibility studies and the preparation of briefs and
tender documents for a community health centre at Fairfield/
Liverpool. CANBERRA. A. C. T.