The new, purpose-built palliative care hub for Ballarat and region has been opened with passionate and moving dedications from its executive officer, board chair, and the Member for Western Victoria, Jaala Pulford.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In front of a large audience and in the presence of the hospice's patron, the former Victorian health minister Ron Knowles, the trio acknowledged the overwhelming support of the community in Ballarat in making the architecturally-striking building possible.
Ballarat Hospice Care's $7.7 million palliative care hub in Ballarat was constructed following a $6.2 million commitment from the state government prior to last year's election.
READ MORE:
Hospice Care executive officer Carita Clancy said an almost unimaginably enormous amount of work had gone into the preparation of the application to construct the new hub, including 1500 pages of support documents to the regional infrastructure fund.
She recalled the excitement when the-then health minister Jill Hennessy, with Sharon Knight and Jaala Pulford, came to the hospice's Drummond Street premises to announce the much-needed grant in 2017.
"That visit was so special to us, not just for the grant money, but the time spent together which was filled with compassion, resilience and positive expectations, and in Jaala's words, 'the hospice's new hub will enable the extraordinary skill and care provided by staff to people in our community to be extended to even more patients and families.'
In responding and declaring the hub open, Minister Pulford spoke movingly of the care provided by Ballarat Hospice to her daughter Sinead, who died of cancer almost five years ago.
This building and the way it relates to care provision, is plainly about giving the community the best access to palliative care
- Jaala Pulford, Member for Western Victoria
"The work of Hospice, for so many of us, is that very important thread which held us together. They taught us to be the best carers we could be, to guide us through this new world of overwhelming grief."
The palliative hub provides reflective spaces, children's areas and counselling, training and interview rooms.