Added comforts for Stawell Medical Centre

On their next visit, patients of Stawell Medical Centre will find plenty of great improvements to the clinic, including comfortable new chairs in the waiting room.

A Public Health Network grant provided through the ‘Strengthening Medicare’ initiative, has ensured the centre had been able to make a number of purchases, the most important being a portable ECG machine.

SMC registered nurse Vicki Ottrey said the grant money had given them the chance to freshen up the doctors’ rooms. 

“We were able to purchase a portable ECG machine, new cryo canisters, new stethoscopes, diagnostic equipment, thermoscans, scales, blood pressure monitors, suction ear syringe, wheelchairs and waiting room chairs with the $27,500 grant,” Ms Ottrey said.  

“These purchases have allowed us to update all the equipment in the doctors’ rooms and also get some brand new equipment like the portable ECG machine,” she said. 

“Now patients can safely come in to the medical centre and no matter which room they are in they can have an ECG done, not just in the treatment rooms.”  

Ms Ottrey said the new chairs had already proved a winner. 

“Every patient talks about how lovely and comfortable the new chairs are and they fit in beautifully with the colour scheme. We’ve got bariatric chairs for bigger people and they also come in handy for mothers with a small child who might want to sit with Mum.  

“The wheelchairs we previously were using were over 30 years old so it’s great to have the new ones.”