“The unit’s first patients will be notified of their appointments closer to the opening date,” Fraser-Chapple told Local Democracy Reporting.
“Having the new facility at the hospital means patients will have less travel and less stress while receiving treatment.”
The unit will open on December 14 with a blessing and celebration. The name of the facility will be announced after the official opening and blessing.
Government funding for the unit was secured in February 2020. Fraser-Chapple said instead of constructing a purpose-built facility, the hospital had used existing space to create the unit. This was more cost-effective and faster, she said.
Fraser-Chapple earlier said the burden of travelling for treatment “and the inequity that causes” was front of mind in the decision to build the unit.
Nancy Tuaine, the kaihautū/chief executive of Whanganui River iwi entity Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui, said local Māori health service development focused strongly on equity and the ability to access health services.
“Whether it be an infusion unit or a dialysis unit, we’ve always fought to have health services closer to the people.”
Tuaine said people were often unable to travel with whānau to support them through treatment because of time constraints and lack of resources.
“The Cancer Society do an amazing job in supporting our people to get to those services but sometimes whānau go off to treatment by themselves.
“It is great to have the infusion unit closer to the people and it removes the extra strain of having to travel away for treatment which can actually be traumatic and can be long-term.
“The more we can do to bring those services to the people, the better off we will be as a community and the more we will be able to support our whānau who are going through their cancer journey.”
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