I L L
PRIME MINISTER
ADDRESS BY THE PRIME ZIINISTERO THE HOW* P 3 KEATING MP, TO
TzZ LAUNCH OF THlE VICTOR CHANG CARDIAC RESEARCH INST ITUTZ
SYDNE~ Y, FEBRUARY 15, 1994
When senator Richardson suggested that I come along to the
launch of the victor Chang Cardiac Research institute, I
accepted without much resistance.
The Institute promises to do two things which are of
irresistible appeal.
First, it honours Victor Chang a great Australian, a great
surgeon and a great humanitarian.
Second, it provides for research into a form of disease
suffere4 by 130,000 Australians and which kills as many as
200 people every week.
In fact, I suspect most people My age live in a certain
degree of fear of heart disease, most of us have had friends
who have suffered froam-if or di-ed from it.
Perhaps I should add a third reason why I was keen to say a
few words here today and that is th~ at the Institute will
be attached to St Vincents which has an unsurpassed
reputation based in equal proportions on its excellence in
health care and medical research, and its core values of
compassion, human dignity and social justice.
St Vincents is a hospital with a philosophy and that is
something all great institutions need.
And no hospital could have a better philosophy tnan that
provided by the Sisters of Charity.
The Sisters of Charity bring to St Vincents a compassionate
web, a family culture which, far from being at odds with
modern management principles and strategies, strengthens
them puts humanity into the technocratic void, if you
like. The great thing about St Vincents and the great thing
about this new Victor Chang Cardiac Research institute is
that the nighest standards of medical excellence, and the
most advanced techniques and technology, are delivered to
all Australians regardless of their social and financial
clrcun~ tances. i D r c U L, 4 i i 10 u
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And f or this we have the mission of the Sisters of Charity
to thank.
It goes to show that a$ health care goes through rapid
changes because of advances in medical science arnd
technology, the importance of traditional values is
undiminished though it may be these days even more
essential to assert them.
This new Institute will have, as I understand it, three main
goals. First, to improve the lives and life expectancy of all
Australians. Second, to save millions of dollars each year in health
costs. And third, to make internationally recognised contributions
to our understanding of heart muscle disease.
It has been fashionable in recent years for all modern
corporations and institutions to have what Is called a
Mission Statement a document worked up in the company
defining common goals and corporate philosophies.
You couldn't have a better Mission Statement for a hospital
than the Mission of the Sisters of Charity.
And I daresay you couldn't have a better name to call
yourself by then Victor Chang.
I met Dr Chang but did rnot know him well, but I know people
who did and I read the testimonials after his tragic and
outrageous death, and I have heard people talking today.
There is no doubting his extraordinary quialities.
It has, perhaps, not been adequately acknowledged that among
his great contributions to Australia was the work he did in
fostering cooperation between Australian medicine and
medical research and medicine in the countries of South-East
Asia. I hope his work as an ambassador for Australia Is not
forgotten, and that advances made at this Institute which
bears his name will flow on to those countries In Asia in
which he took such an interest.
He was, as I said, a great man, an marvellous surgeon and,
perhaps most of all, a man with a genuine personal concern
and understanding for his patients.
it was Victor Chang's great dreasm to see here at St V1. nrents
H~ ealth Care Campus a team of world class researchers
pursuing the unique challenges of heart disease. iS FeD ' J4 iZ 6 iAO UU,: Uzi
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With tbe creation of this Research Institute, Viotor Chang's
dream can be realised.
So, it remains for me to say just two things:
First, i urge all AUstralians to give all they can to
this appeal, for in so doing It they will be not only
helping to carry on the work and the memory of victor
Chang, helping themselves and their fellow Australians.
And second, I congratulate and sincerely thank all those
who have given to the cause already both those who
have given money and those who have given their time
and their skill and effort.
I declare this Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
officially launched.
SYDNEY February 1994 I r C ,1 1 * 4U ,. lQ r, V