Purpose-built medical centre planned for Durham St

Cambridge St Medical Centre's Hans Roberti and Bente Ongkiehong with a drawing of the medical centre they plan to build and move to in Durham St.

A new medical centre proposed for central Levin could service up to 8000 patients, although it will mean the long-established Jack Allen Community House and its social services will have to find new premises.

The privately-owned Cambridge St Medical Centre has announced plans to purpose-build a new centre on Durham St land currently owned by Horowhenua District Council.

On the site is a car park and Jack Allen House, home to Citizens Advice Bureau, counsellors and support groups for the disabled, stroke victims, youth mental health and addiction, and prisoner support.
An HDC statement said councillors supported council to begin negotiations to sell the land.
Jack Allen Community House chairperson Eleanor Gully said the project provided a good opportunity to bring its services into the 21st century at a new location.

The medical centre's clinical leader, Bente Ongkiehong, said the new centre would house core primary care medical services - general practice, nursing and a pharmacy.

It would also have a skin cancer clinic, physiotherapy, spaces for visiting specialists and tenancies by other types of health service, a cafe and gym.

The medical centre's business development manager, Hans Roberti, said he had approached HDC with the idea of using the council land.

He said finance had not yet been finalised for the centre, but banks had expressed support. He did not want to give a figure for the project.

Mr Roberti said the building's cost would be met by growing the medical practice from the 3000 current patients to 8000 patients, which he expected to reach five years from opening. Fee increases were not part of the plan.

The plan has the new two storey, 2000squ/m , 50-carpark centre opening in about 14 months.

The centre's one full-time and one part-time doctor would grow to four full time positions, with 16 support staff, as well as potentially up to six visiting medical specialists and three onsite physiotherapists.

Mr Roberti said Levin's population growth projections showed the centre was needed, and there would be no negative impact on the town's other medical centres.

He was confident the quality of both the new building and the organisation would attract doctors to Levin, despite a significant nationwide shortage of doctors in provincial areas.

Issues Foxton had faced in attracting doctors to its new medical centre were not relevant, he said. The Levin centre would have an ownership structure more attractive to young doctors.

A joint statement from MidCentral District Health Board chief executive officer Kathryn Cook and Central Primary Health Organisation chief executive officer Chiquita Hansen welcomed and supported the ambitious proposal.

They said Cambridge St Medical Centre showed great courage in looking to provide the new facility.