This week marks the end of an era and the beginning of another for health care in the Kiama area.
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The $3.6 million Kiama Integrated Primary and Community Health Centre will deliver services including dental, physiotherapy and specialist clinics.
The centre, part of the Kiama Hospital Redevelopment project was officially launched on Friday.
Bombo’s Alison Gillespie began taking her ten-month-old son Archie to the old Kiama clinic for appointments last May, before recently transferring to the new one.
“It’s very welcoming and has plenty of modern features… And it’s nice for the little ones to have all the modern things,” she said.
Kiama MP Gareth Ward said the state government has provided a total of $8 million in funding for the Kiama Hospital Redevelopment project under the Restart NSW Illawarra Infrastructure Fund.
“I am also proud to announce works will shortly be underway on Kiama council’s component of the redevelopment project which will see the transformation of the remainder of the former Kiama Hospital site into a new aged care facility,” he said.
This site will include a 134-bed residential aged care facility, 59 independent living units and 18 assisted living units, located next to the upgraded health centre.
Meanwhile, residents have the chance to farewell the old Kiama Hospital.
An open day event will take place on Saturday (March 11) from 10am to 2pm.
The old hospital site is being cleared to make way for the creation of the new Blue Haven Aged Care Centre of Excellence.
Kiama Mayor Mark Honey, who was born at the hospital, said the open day would allow the community to visit the old hospital and learn about its history before the building is removed.
The old hospital was completed in May 1930.
Eileen Pirie worked at the old Kiama site in various roles for ten years, including nurse unit manager.
She admitted it was “a sad feeling” to walk through the hallways.
“It has a positive outcome, because something that is going to be purpose-built by the council will be here in its place,” she said.
Cr Honey said in “a matter of weeks, crews will begin removing the old buildings and preparing the site for construction to commence”.
All buildings on-site will be removed except for heritage-listed Barroul House, with construction scheduled to start in mid-2017.
The residential aged care facility and eight independent living units are expected to be completed by the end of 2018 with the remaining 51 independent living units finished by mid-2019.
The overall redevelopment project has a value of about $70 million.
